Any Penn Stater or State College local could tell you that Happy Valley has its name for a reason. Our little town in the middle of Pennsylvania earned the distinction of the best college town in the state and No. 6 among the best college towns in the United States, according to Reviews.org.

Based on criteria of overall population, student population, rental costs, college education rates, transportation access, unemployment rates, and bar availability, State College makes the cut just behind Iowa City (Iowa), Ithaca (Cornell), Urbana-Champaign (Illinois), Rexburg (BYU-Idaho), and Logan (Utah State).

While it’s ranked third in the Big Ten, Penn State’s college town still bests conference rivals Michigan and Wisconsin on the list, though they also cracked the top 20.

State College earned credit for its city access — thanks to its walkability and the different modes of transportation like the CATA bus service and Zagster bike share — as well as its high college-educated population that shares the area with the students.

You can’t deny the facts: State College is a true college town.

About the Author

Carly Weiss

Carly is a senior Media Studies major and is from the ever-so-famous "outside of Philly". You can contact her at carly@onwardstate.com or hit her up on Instagram @carlyweiss.

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