College years can be the most magical time in one’s life. From parties, falling in love, and changing majors to the experience of stress and pressure that ensures friends for life, celebrating successes, and learning from failures – having a safe environment to do this is of the utmost importance.
And for parents sending their children off to college, safety is usually a top concern. It is often the first time that their kids are on their own, living independently outside of the home. Choosing a school with a solid reputation for security and low potential for dangerous threats allows moms and dads to breathe easier once their kids ship off to earn a higher education.
With this thought in mind, we compiled our list of the Safest Colleges in America.
Due to the many different variables in play such as campus size, location, and culture, coming up with an accurate and fair ranking is a challenge. Some might say that campuses that rank high on a safety list have better PR in place instead of actually being safer. While these are valid concerns (and we certainly advise students and their parents to visit the colleges to see and feel the campuses for themselves), we do believe that we have been able to rank fairly and objectively. Not only have we taken data submitted to the FBI, we have also reviewed this data relative to the surrounding area of the campus. We have not taken any publications by the respective college into consideration for our list thus refuting the PR argument.
1. Lincoln Memorial University
HARROGATE, TENNESSEE
Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee takes a broad range of measures to ensure campus safety. They’re campus police and security team offer services including:
- Patrols
- Door locks and unlocks
- After hours escort service
- Camera monitoring
- Dispatching for both emergency and non-emergency situations
Students can also call an anonymous tip line to report to the campus police. Apart from submitting crime reports to the FBI, they have an annual security report and conduct Sex Offender Registry searches.
2. South Georgia State College
DOUGLAS, GEORGIA
To enhance safety, South Georgia State College has developed the Live Safe security app which provides an easy way of communicating campus safety issues. It includes features that promote safety and awareness on Campus. From the app, students may directly contact the campus police with text, video, photo, or audio. The Go Safe feature gives access to safe walks and security escorts on campus. Through the app, students also get access to alerts and a range of resources improving security.
3. Elon University
ELON, NORTH CAROLINA
Security staff of Elon University live by a set of principles that ensure the campus is safe and enjoyable for all who live, work, and study there:
- All people should be treated with dignity and respect.
- Officers must strive to earn the community’s trust by the manner in which they conduct themselves.
- The life, human rights, and property of all people must be protected.
- An open exchange of information and ideas benefits both our department and the University community.
- Elon University and each member of the department must support the mission for it to be accomplished.
- Our department should strive to be progressive, receptive and innovative in the performance of our duties.
4. Jackson State Community College
JACKSON, TENNESSEE
The website of Jackson State Community College contains numerous resources on safety and security including annual reports from the past four years. One may also find reading material about:
- Emergency Management Guidelines
- Personal Safety
- Domestic Violence Information
- Possession and Use of Weapons
5. John Wood Community College
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
John Wood Community College is a small campus located in Quincy, Illinois. It is a two-year, open admissions college, ranking as one of the safest in the country. The college has a 100% acceptance rate and 50% graduation rate. Of all the graduates, 87% are employed within two years of graduation.
Complete list of the safest colleges in America
This is the complete ranking of the 490 colleges that were included in our research into the safest college campuses in the U.S.
Rank Row Labels City State
1 Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate Tennessee
2 South Georgia State College Douglas Georgia
3 Elon University Elon North Carolina
4 Jackson State Community College Jackson Tennessee
5 John Wood Community College Quincy Illinois
6 Virginia Western Community College Roanoke Virginia
7 Roane State Community College Harriman Tennessee
8 Elgin Community College Elgin Illinois
9 University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis Tennessee
10 Albany State University Albany Georgia
11 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley Massachusetts
12 Southern University and A&M College Shreveport Louisiana
13 Rogers State University Claremore Oklahoma
14 Jefferson College Hillsboro Missouri
15 Laredo Community College Laredo Texas
16 Dalton State College Dalton Georgia
17 Walters State Community College Morristown Tennessee
18 Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga Tennessee
19 College of Coastal Georgia Brunswick Georgia
20 Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers Florida
21 Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma City Oklahoma
22 Alvin Community College Alvin Texas
23 Joliet Junior College Joliet Illinois
24 University of Maryland Baltimore City Maryland
25 Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta Georgia
26 University of North Georgia Dahlonega Georgia
27 El Paso Community College El Paso Texas
28 Monmouth University West Long Branch New Jersey
29 Middle Georgia State University Macon Georgia
30 Northeast State Community College Blountville Tennessee
31 Mansfield University Mansfield Pennsylvania
32 Hampton University Hampton Virginia
33 University of Texas Permian Basin Texas
34 Delgado Community College New Orleans Louisiana
35 Mineral Area College Park Hills Missouri
36 Allan Hancock College Santa Maria California
37 Northeastern State University Tahlequah Oklahoma
38 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams Massachusetts
39 Arapahoe Community College Littleton Colorado
40 Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis Tennessee
41 Cuesta College San Luis Obispo California
42 Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk Virginia
43 Fort Valley State University Fort Valley Georgia
44 J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond Virginia
45 University of South Carolina Beaufort South Carolina
46 Tennessee State University Nashville Tennessee
47 Lincoln Land Community College Springfield Illinois
48 Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner Massachusetts
49 Middlesex County College Edison New Jersey
50 Santa Fe College Gainesville Florida
51 Shepherd University Shepherdstown West Virginia
52 St. Charles Community College Cottleville Missouri
53 Metropolitan Community College Kansas City Missouri
54 Oakland Community College Bloomfield Hills Michigan
55 Pennsylvania State University Berks Pennsylvania
56 Spelman College Atlanta Georgia
57 Pennsylvania State University Harrisburg Pennsylvania
58 Lehigh University Bethlehem Pennsylvania
59 Longwood University Farmville Virginia
60 University of Pittsburgh Greensburg Pennsylvania
61 Becker College Worcester Massachusetts
62 University of Virginia’s College at Wise Wise Virginia
63 Cameron University Lawton Oklahoma
64 Lakeland Community College Kirtland Ohio
65 Lewis University Romeoville Illinois
66 Rutgers University Camden New Jersey
67 Christian Brothers University Memphis Tennessee
68 Stonehill College Easton Massachusetts
69 Northern Virginia Community College Springfield Virginia
70 Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches Texas
71 College of the Holy Cross Worcester Massachusetts
72 Stockton University Galloway Township New Jersey
73 University of Baltimore Baltimore Maryland
74 Tulsa Community College Tulsa Oklahoma
75 Foothill-De Anza College Los Altos Hills California
76 Kirtland Community College Roscommon Michigan
77 Paris Junior College Paris Texas
78 Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin Georgia
79 Cleveland State Community College Cleveland Tennessee
80 Arkansas State University Beebe Arkansas
81 Emory and Henry College Emory Virginia
82 Texas Woman’s University Denton Texas
83 PennState Scranton Dunmore Pennsylvania
84 Texas A&M International University Laredo Texas
85 Frostburg State University Frostburg Maryland
86 Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
87 Springfield College Springfield Massachusetts
88 University of Michigan Dearborn Michigan
89 Macomb Community College Warren Michigan
90 Brookdale Community College Middletown New Jersey
91 Meredith College Raleigh North Carolina
92 California State University San Marcos California
93 Bridgewater College Bridgewater Virginia
94 University of Texas Tyler Texas
95 Massasoit Community College Brockton Massachusetts
96 Assumption College Worcester Massachusetts
97 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
98 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg Massachusetts
99 University of Pittsburgh Bradford Pennsylvania
100 Essex County College Newark New Jersey
101 University of North Carolina Asheville North Carolina
102 Amarillo College Amarillo Texas
103 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Illinois
104 Coppin State University Baltimore Maryland
105 Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City Kansas
106 William Paterson University Wayne New Jersey
107 Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City Oklahoma
108 Volunteer State Community College Gallatin Tennessee
109 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Texas
110 Dillard University New Orleans Louisiana
111 University of Texas Arlington Texas
112 University of Southern Maine Portland Maine
113 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark New Jersey
114 Midlands Technical College West Columbia South Carolina
115 Kellogg Community College Battle Creek Michigan
116 Schoolcraft College Livonia Michigan
117 Augusta Technical College Augusta Georgia
118 University of South Florida – St. Petersburg St. Petersburg Florida
119 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville North Carolina
120 Illinois Central College East Peoria Illinois
121 Millersville University Millersville Pennsylvania
122 Western New England University Springfield Massachusetts
123 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut
124 Brown University Providence Rhode Island
125 Chicago State University Chicago Illinois
126 Pikes Peak Community College Colorado Springs Colorado
127 University of Minnesota Morris Minnesota
128 Utah State University Logan Utah
129 The Citadel Charleston South Carolina
130 University of West Florida Pensacola Florida
131 University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Dallas Texas
132 College of the Mainland Texas City Texas
133 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield Massachusetts
134 Rutgers University Newark New Jersey
135 Pennsylvania State University Behrend Pennsylvania
136 West Chester University West Chester Pennsylvania
137 University of Illinois Springfield Illinois
138 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw Georgia
139 Alamo Colleges District San Antonio Texas
140 Irvine Valley College Irvine California
141 Seminole State College Seminole Oklahoma
142 Central Arizona College Coolidge Arizona
143 Bloomsburg University Bloomsburg Pennsylvania
144 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken New Jersey
145 Young Harris College Young Harris Georgia
146 Central Connecticut State University New Britain Connecticut
147 Washington University St. Louis Missouri
148 Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina
149 Pima Community College Tucson Arizona
150 Eastern Connecticut State University Windham Connecticut
151 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City North Carolina
152 Prince George’s County Community College Largo Maryland
153 St. Thomas University Houston Texas
154 Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville Tennessee
155 Clarion University Clarion Pennsylvania
156 Towson University Towson Maryland
157 Wellesley College Wellesley Massachusetts
158 Wahpeton Little Rock Arkansas
159 Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee
160 Babson College Wellesley Massachusetts
161 California State University Channel Islands California
162 Massachusetts College of Art Boston Massachusetts
163 University of Michigan Flint Michigan
164 Delta College University Center Michigan
165 Montclair State University Montclair New Jersey
166 University of Colorado Denver Colorado
167 Francis Marion University Florence South Carolina
168 Brandeis University Waltham Massachusetts
169 University of Wisconsin Green Bay Wisconsin
170 Parkland College Champaign Illinois
171 Oakland University Rochester Michigan
172 Bowie State University Bowie Maryland
173 University of Missouri Kansas City Missouri
174 Red Rocks Community College Lakewood Colorado
175 Houston Community College Houston Texas
176 Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford Oklahoma
177 Dean College Franklin Massachusetts
178 Shippensburg University Shippensburg Pennsylvania
179 Georgia College and State University Milledgeville Georgia
180 Sinclair Community College Dayton Ohio
181 Lock Haven University Lock Haven Pennsylvania
182 Morehead State University Morehead Kentucky
183 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Alva Oklahoma
184 Appalachian State University Boone North Carolina
185 Texas Christian University Fort Worth Texas
186 California University California Pennsylvania
187 Armstrong State University Savannah Georgia
188 Westfield State University Westfield Massachusetts
189 Richard Bland College Petersburg Virginia
190 East Georgia College Swainsboro Georgia
191 California State University Dominguez Hills California
192 Coahoma Community College Clarksdale Mississippi
193 University of Maryland Baltimore County Maryland
194 Bentley University Waltham Massachusetts
195 Rowan University Glassboro New Jersey
196 Georgia Southern University Statesboro Georgia
197 Gordon State College Barnesville Georgia
198 College of Charleston Charleston South Carolina
199 Salem State University Salem Massachusetts
200 East Carolina University Greenville North Carolina
201 Florida A&M University Tallahassee Florida
202 College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas Nevada
203 Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock Pennsylvania
204 Emporia State University Emporia Kansas
205 Columbus State University Columbus Georgia
206 West Valley-Mission College Saratoga California
207 University of North Florida Jacksonville Florida
208 St. Louis Community College Meramec Missouri
209 Western Connecticut State University Danbury Connecticut
210 Wichita State University Wichita Kansas
211 Millikin University Decatur Illinois
212 California State University Monterey Bay California
213 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown Maryland
214 Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa California
215 Pennsylvania State University Brandywine Pennsylvania
216 Virginia State University Petersburg Virginia
217 Moravian College Bethlehem Pennsylvania
218 Austin Peay State University Clarksville Tennessee
219 University of California Merced California
220 Methodist University Fayetteville North Carolina
221 University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin
222 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater Massachusetts
223 Ithaca College Ithaca New York
224 University of Missouri St. Louis Missouri
225 Virginia Military Institute Lexington City Virginia
226 University of Arkansas Little Rock Arkansas
227 Central Texas College Killeen Texas
228 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton Georgia
229 Coastal Carolina University Conway South Carolina
230 Clark University Worcester Massachusetts
231 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill North Carolina
232 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant Michigan
233 Salisbury University Salisbury Maryland
234 San Jose/Evergreen Community College San Jose California
235 Eastern Washington University Cheney Washington
236 Greenville Technical College Greenville South Carolina
237 Kean University Union New Jersey
238 Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana
239 Winthrop University Rock Hill South Carolina
240 University of Delaware Newark Delaware
241 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg Virginia
242 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond Oklahoma
243 Morgan State University Baltimore Maryland
244 Angelo State University San Angelo Texas
245 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
246 George Mason University Fairfax Virginia
247 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston Massachusetts
248 University of Pittsburgh Johnstown Pennsylvania
249 Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville Georgia
250 University of Arkansas Community College Morrilton Arkansas
251 Southern Arkansas University Magnolia Arkansas
252 Radford University Radford Virginia
253 University of Rhode Island South Kingstown Rhode Island
254 University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado
255 Mercer University Macon Georgia
256 Weber State University Ogden Utah
257 University of Louisiana Monroe Louisiana
258 University of Central Florida Orlando Florida
259 Otterbein University Westerville Ohio
260 West Texas A&M University Canyon Texas
261 Yale University New Haven Connecticut
262 Nicholls State University Thibodaux Louisiana
263 El Camino College Torrance California
264 University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City Oklahoma
265 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee Florida
266 Northeastern University Boston Massachusetts
267 University of Maryland College Park Maryland
268 University of West Georgia Carrollton Georgia
269 University of Texas El Paso Texas
270 Ferrum College Ferrum Virginia
271 University of Florida Gainesville Florida
272 Georgia Southwestern State University Americus Georgia
273 California State University Stanislaus California
274 Indiana University Indiana Pennsylvania
275 University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Wisconsin
276 Norfolk State University Norfolk Virginia
277 University of North Carolina Greensboro North Carolina
278 Duke University Durham North Carolina
279 University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee
280 University of Texas Dallas Texas
281 The College of New Jersey Ewing Township New Jersey
282 Merrimack College Andover Massachusetts
283 Bunker Hill Community College Boston Massachusetts
284 University of North Carolina Charlotte North Carolina
285 University of South Carolina Upstate South Carolina
286 University of Richmond Richmond Virginia
287 Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
288 University of Wisconsin Parkside Wisconsin
289 East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee
290 Riverside Community College Riverside California
291 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Massachusetts
292 Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas
293 Illinois State University Normal Illinois
294 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg Missouri
295 Emerson College Boston Massachusetts
296 West Georgia Technical College LaGrange Georgia
297 North Carolina Central University Durham North Carolina
298 Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo Michigan
299 Louisiana State University Shreveport Louisiana
300 Ferris State University Big Rapids Michigan
301 Delaware State University Dover Delaware
302 James Madison University Harrisonburg Virginia
303 South Carolina State University Orangeburg South Carolina
304 Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas
305 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City Oklahoma
306 Edinboro University Edinboro Pennsylvania
307 Northern Michigan University Marquette Michigan
308 Jackson State University Jackson Mississippi
309 Rutgers University New Brunswick New Jersey
310 University of Alabama Birmingham Alabama
311 North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton North Dakota
312 East Central University Ada Oklahoma
313 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers Florida
314 Kutztown University Kutztown Pennsylvania
315 University of North Texas Denton Texas
316 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida
317 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Georgia
318 Augusta University Augusta Georgia
319 Christopher Newport University Newport News Virginia
320 University of Memphis Memphis Tennessee
321 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama
322 Southern University and A&M College Baton Rouge Louisiana
323 University of Vermont Burlington Vermont
324 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Wisconsin
325 Marin Community College Kentfield California
326 Evergreen State College Olympia Washington
327 University of Georgia Athens Georgia
328 Lansing Community College Lansing Michigan
329 University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Arkansas
330 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights Kentucky
331 Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem North Carolina
332 Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph Missouri
333 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg Virginia
334 South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota
335 Amherst College Amherst Massachusetts
336 Washburn University Topeka Kansas
337 Southern Utah University Cedar City Utah
338 Pensacola State College Pensacola Florida
339 University of Maryland Eastern Shore Maryland
340 Capital University Columbus Ohio
341 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville Alabama
342 Florida International University Miami Florida
343 Dickinson College Carlisle Pennsylvania
344 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green Kentucky
345 Berry College Rome Georgia
346 California State University Los Angeles California
347 University of California San Francisco California
348 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville Missouri
349 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant Oklahoma
350 Adams State University Alamosa Colorado
351 Colorado School of Mines Golden Colorado
352 Southern Methodist University Dallas Texas
353 University of Illinois Urbana Illinois
354 University of Wisconsin Whitewater Wisconsin
355 California State University Bakersfield California
356 University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah
357 University of Wisconsin Platteville Wisconsin
358 Pennsylvania State University Altoona Pennsylvania
359 University of Tennessee Martin Tennessee
360 Prairie View A&M University Prairie View Texas
361 Washington State University Pullman Washington
362 Brigham Young University Provo Utah
363 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti Michigan
364 University of Wisconsin La Crosse Wisconsin
365 Humboldt State University Arcata California
366 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville Tennessee
367 University of Wisconsin Superior Wisconsin
368 San Francisco State University San Francisco California
369 Henderson State University Arkadelphia Arkansas
370 Fort Lewis College Durango Colorado
371 East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania
372 North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
373 University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming
374 Cornell University Ithaca New York
375 Louisiana Tech University Ruston Louisiana
376 Marshall University Huntington West Virginia
377 Northeast Mississippi Community College Booneville Mississippi
378 West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia
379 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana
380 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts
381 University of Missouri Columbia Missouri
382 University of South Florida – Tampa Tampa Florida
383 University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma
384 Truman State University Kirksville Missouri
385 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau Missouri
386 Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts
387 California State Polytechnic University Pomona California
388 California State University East Bay California
389 San Bernardino Community College San Bernardino California
390 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids Michigan
391 Ventura County Community College District Camarillo California
392 University of Alaska Anchorage Alaska
393 Rice University Houston Texas
394 California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo California
395 California State University San Bernardino California
396 Valdosta State University Valdosta Georgia
397 University of Nevada Reno Nevada
398 California State University Fullerton California
399 Lincoln University Jefferson City Missouri
400 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
401 University of Maine Orono Maine
402 Langston University Langston Oklahoma
403 University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire
404 Miami University Oxford Ohio
405 University of Akron Akron Ohio
406 University of Minnesota Duluth Minnesota
407 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo Michigan
408 California State University Long Beach California
409 Montana State University Bozeman Montana
410 University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
411 Murray State University Murray Kentucky
412 Mississippi State University Starkville Mississippi
413 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park California
414 Presbyterian College Clinton South Carolina
415 Utah Valley University Orem Utah
416 Oklahoma State University – Main Campus Stillwater Oklahoma
417 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls Iowa
418 University of New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana
419 Abilene Christian University Abilene Texas
420 University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Wisconsin
421 North Dakota State University Fargo North Dakota
422 Grambling State University Grambling Louisiana
423 University of Toledo Toledo Ohio
424 California State University San Jose California
425 University of South Alabama Mobile Alabama
426 Austin College Sherman Texas
427 Arkansas Tech University Russellville Arkansas
428 University of North Carolina Wilmington North Carolina
429 Old Dominion University Norfolk Virginia
430 Iowa State University Ames Iowa
431 California State University Sacramento California
432 Bob Jones University Greenville South Carolina
433 Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan
434 Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania
435 University of Maine Farmington Maine
436 Benedict College Columbia South Carolina
437 University of Tennessee Chattanooga Tennessee
438 University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
439 University of Louisville Louisville Kentucky
440 Clemson University Clemson South Carolina
441 University of Northern Colorado Greeley Colorado
442 Contra Costa Community College San Pablo California
443 Morehouse College Atlanta Georgia
444 Boston University Boston Massachusetts
445 Missouri Southern State University Joplin Missouri
446 New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico
447 Arizona State University – Main Campus Tempe Arizona
448 Saginaw Valley State University University Center Michigan
449 University of Louisiana Lafayette Louisiana
450 University of California Santa Barbara California
451 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond Kentucky
452 Grand Valley State University Allendale Charter Township Michigan
453 Western Washington University Bellingham Washington
454 Emory University Atlanta Georgia
455 University of Washington Seattle Washington
456 California State University Fresno California
457 University of California Riverside California
458 University of Arizona Tucson Arizona
459 University of California Berkeley California
460 Eastern New Mexico University Portales New Mexico
461 University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska
462 University of the South Sewanee Tennessee
463 Pasadena Community College Pasadena California
464 University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada
465 University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Wisconsin
466 University of California Santa Cruz California
467 State Center Community College District Fresno California
468 Garden City Community College Garden City Kansas
469 University of North Dakota Grand Forks North Dakota
470 California State University Northridge California
471 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Miami Oklahoma
472 University of Wisconsin River Falls Wisconsin
473 Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado
474 University of California Davis California
475 Central Washington University Ellensburg Washington
476 University of California San Diego California
477 University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minnesota
478 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona
479 University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
480 California State University Chico California
481 University of Wisconsin Stout Wisconsin
482 University of California Irvine California
483 Gordon College Wenham Massachusetts
484 University of California Los Angeles California
485 College of the Sequoias Visalia California
486 San Diego State University San Diego California
487 Portland State University Portland Oregon
488 Ohio State University Columbus Ohio
489 University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico
490 University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan
Did your campus make the list? Share the good news on your site!
Tips for staying safe in college dorms or off campus housing
- If you’re renting off campus housing, consider installing a home security system (like Vivint, FrontPoint or ADT).
- If you’re renting, look into a wireless security system. Simplisafe has the simplest systems we’ve seen.
- Consider installing a security camera in your dorm. If you share space get consent from all of your roomates.
Methodology
Using data from law enforcement and FBI crime reports, we compared 490 colleges (save for those with enrollment under 1,000 students and others for which a significant amount of data was unavailable). Colleges that failed to submit their crime reports with the FBI were also excluded from our research.
For this ranking, we took two variables into account: crime rate and police adequacy. When looking at crime rates, we made a distinction between violent and non-violent (property) crime.
According to the FBI, “Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes are defined in the UCR Program as those offenses that involve force or threat of force. Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims.”