West NY News

Data analysis by Washington Post Reporter Andrew Van Dam defined the Ultimate College Town by ranking US Census Urban Areas with the largest share of college students. Urban Areas follow population-density patterns, not municipal borders.

Alfred is No. 1 by a wide margin. Winning the number one national ranking for the Ultimate College Town proves that Alfred's picture-perfect environment away from big city worries stands out among all other university and college towns in the country. Van Dam called Alfred “the collegiest” a term he coined.

Van Dam describes Alfred as a village wedged into Western New York’s hills that is home to both a private and public school, Alfred University and Alfred State College. As noted in the Washington Post, "Students make up an astonishing 85 percent of the town's population... If you go left at the town's only stoplight, you're on one campus. Turn right, you're on the other. Now that's a college town."

Alfred is at the center of the US Northeast. Located along the I-86 freeway, Alfred is a convenient and attractive college town for students from a wide region and around the world. According to NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), there are 104,464,746 people within 350 miles of Alfred. That amounts to approximately one-third of the US population.

Students across New York and from many states choose Alfred to take advantage of a caring academic community, enjoy low student-to-faculty ratios for personal attention, and be part of something special.

Alfred University President Dr. Mark Zupan said, “While there is only one traffic light in Alfred, there are plentiful and potent intersections that benefit faculty, students, and staff—including those offered by our sister school, Alfred State College, and the friendly surrounding village. Set in a safe, bucolic valley in the Finger Lakes region of New York, our students make bold discoveries by pursuing multiple pathways and integrating their interests. Alfred University’s purpose is to help our students identify and realize their purpose. The combination of our small size, wide range of programs, applied learning opportunities, and commitment to student engagement through mentoring allows Alfred University to be a talent incubator and socioeconomic development engine.”

Alfred State College (ASC) President Dr. Steven Mauro said, “Living in the Ultimate College Town gives you access to both beautiful campuses and a supportive tight-knit community, including world-class faculty who judge their achievements by how students succeed at launching their careers. With students making up 85 percent of all residents in our village, you know we are student-centered. Great ideas and innovations are shared across Main Street, many alumni met their spouses at the sister school, and everyone benefits from the wealth of recreation to share fun, fitness, and fellowship in such a friendly environment.”

Village of Alfred Mayor Becky Prophet '70 said, “In this beautiful valley of Western New York, the word Alfred is applied to three communities that coalesce into a single multifaceted gem. The Village of Alfred, nestled between the two schools, makes an intersection and a gathering place for the valley.  There is nothing like the sum of the Alfreds anywhere in the US or, perhaps, in the world.  We are the most collegiate of all college towns.  We are an excellent place to grow up.  We are a fine place to raise a family.  But most of all, Alfred is the best place to combine daily life and learning.  In Alfred, we live to learn and learn to live for all of our lives.”

Top 25 Ultimate College Towns

Nat'l Rank	US Census Urban Areas	State	Student Share	Population	Higher Education Institutions
1	Alfred	NY	84.6%	4,500	Alfred University & SUNY Alfred State College
2	Prairie View	TX	77.8%	6,161	Prairie View A&M University
3	Slippery Rock	PA	67.3%	6,550	Slippery Rock University
4	Cedarville	OH	67.0%	4,204	Cedarville University
5	Oxford	OH	62.3%	22,933	Miami University of Ohio
6	Air Force Acad.	CO	59.9%	2,833	United States Air Force Academy
7	Potsdam	NY	59.8%	8,337	SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University
8	Hamilton	NY	59.7%	3,863	Colgate University
9	Geneseo	NY	58.8%	8,288	SUNY Geneseo
10	Athens	OH	55.9%	27,450	Ohio University
11	Boone	NC	54.8%	22,323	Appalachian State University
12	Delhi	NY	54.8%	3,046	SUNY Delhi
13	Middlebury	VT	54.6%	5,563	Middlebury College
14	Kutztown	PA	52.2%	8,859	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
15	Whitewater	WI	51.6%	14,346	University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
16	Pullman	WA	51.1%	32,940	Washington State University
17	Raymond	MS	50.9%	2,689	Hinds Community College
18	Canton	NY	49.5%	7,041	SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University
19	Ada	OH	48.0%	5,137	Ohio Northern University
20	Dahlonega	GA	47.8%	5,588	University of North Georgia
21	Cullowhee	NC	47.8%	10,363	Western Carolina University
22	Cazenovia	NY	46.1%	2,860	Cazenovia College
23	Ithaca	NY	45.9%	56,833	Cornell University and Ithaca College
24	New Concord	OH	45.1%	2,836	Muskingum University
25	Lexington	VA	43.8%	9,435	Washington & Lee U and Virginia Military Inst.

New York State is home to the most and highest-ranked Ultimate College Towns. The Washington Post report on Ultimate College Towns shows that New York has a greater number of towns than any other state where students are more than half the local population. Five towns with the 50+ percent honor are in New York. Ohio has three such college towns and Pennsylvania has two. Fifteen out of the top 150 ranked college towns are in New York State. Number one is the college town of Alfred, home of Alfred University and Alfred State College.

State University of New York (SUNY) institutions and private schools are represented in the New York list. SUNY originally coordinated all 64 locations for colleges and universities so that 93 percent of New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a higher education provider, and nearly 100 percent live within 30 miles. Colleges outside cities are near an abundance of outdoor recreation to offer college students a great place to learn, grow, seek their purpose in life, and focus on building skills for a successful future.   

New York’s Ultimate College Towns

Nat'l Rank	US Census Urban Areas	State	Student Share	Population	Higher Education Institutions
1	Alfred	NY	84.60%	4,500	Alfred University & SUNY Alfred State College
7	Potsdam	NY	59.80%	8,337	SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University
8	Hamilton	NY	59.70%	3,863	Colgate University
9	Geneseo	NY	58.80%	8,288	SUNY Geneseo
12	Delhi	NY	54.80%	3,046	SUNY Delhi
18	Canton	NY	49.50%	7,041	SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University
22	Cazenovia	NY	46.10%	2,860	Cazenovia College
23	Ithaca	NY	45.90%	56,833	Cornell University and Ithaca College
61	Oneonta	NY	33.20%	16,369	SUNY Oneonta
80	West Point	NY	29.30%	11,824	West Point Academy
88	Cobleskill	NY	21.50%	5,184	SUNY Cobleskill
97	Red Hook	NY	26.90%	6,034	Bard College
129	Dryden	NY	21.90%	3,623	SUNY Tompkins Cortland CC
135	Brockport	NY	21.20%	18,009	SUNY Brockport
150	Cortland	NY	20.30%	26,325	SUNY Cortland

The full list of Ultimate College Town rankings by the Washington Post is based on US Census Urban Area Data. NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) is the source of information regarding the 104 million people surrounding Alfred.

 Original source can be found here.