No college experience is contained solely on campus.
Whether the surrounding town is small or bordering on being a full-blown city, everyone eventually needs a break from school and wanders out.
Whether to study at a coffee shop, hit a late-night dive after an evening out, or get involved with the community - the area that surrounds a school heavily impacts the college experience.
That’s why we set out to determine the best D3 destinations for students to spend their four years. We sifted through a number of unhelpful internet lists based on mismatched criteria (none of which were D3 focused) to create a ranking that’s actually useful to D3 recruits.
These are the best D3 College Towns in 2024…
Last year we took on a similar challenge and compiled a list of the best D3 Dining Halls. Check it out!
Now, here’s how we determined the Best D3 College Towns & Cities in 2024 👇
How We Created Our List
We aggregated scores from college ranking sites (full source list below) by assigning points based on the town’s position in the list. If a town was ranked in a Top 50 list, we assigned points by subtracting its ranking from 51.
Example: A school ranked #1 earns 50 pts, while one ranked #50 gets 1 pt
Because we value the input of our followers, we polled Twitter (X) for their take on the best D3 college town. We assigned 5 points for each time a specific town/city was mentioned in the comments of the post (up to 25 points):
To ensure we’d scraped everything the web had to offer, we also asked ChatGPT to weigh in on the debate. If a town/city was mentioned in ChatGPT’s output when asked about the Top 25 college towns in America, we assigned 10 points.
A total of 60+ towns/cities registered points after we summed up all of the categories. The highest possible score is a 185 (1st on all three lists, mentioned on Twitter (X), and ChatGPT). Spoiler alert - no one scored a 185.
Finally, we narrowed it down to the Top 20 to create the definitive list of D3 College Towns & Cities for 2024.
Enjoy!
The Best D3 College Towns
#1 Ithaca, NY
Home to Ithaca College, Ithaca is rich with natural beauty - including more than a hundred gorges and waterfalls. It placed highly in all three lists, plus was mentioned by ChatGPT.
When not practicing their sport, Bombers athletes can venture over to the nearby Robert H. Treman State Park, which offers miles of hiking trails, swimming areas, and waterfalls to explore.
Final Score: 106
#2 Cambridge, MA
Home to MIT, Cambridge, MA is undoubtedly one of the smartest cities in America. With its cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and rich heritage, Cambridge exudes old-world charm.
Despite being an urban area, Cambridge has a ton of green spaces and is very pedestrian friendly. With numerous running trails nestled up against the Charles River, MIT students can get great views of the Boston skyline while out for a walk or jog with friends.
Final Score: 81
#3 Lincoln, NE
Home to Nebraska Wesleyan, Lincoln is often associated with the University of Nebraska. Outside of sports, the city is known for its strong sense of community and Midwestern hospitality, including a culture of volunteering and community initiatives.
Lincoln also boasts a vibrant cultural scene with numerous museums, theaters, art galleries, and music venues. From annual festivals to local art exhibitions, there's always something happening when NWU students want to get off campus.
Final Score: 63
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