One Louisiana School Earns Spot on Top 10 College Towns List

For many in Louisiana the "college experience" can be summed up in one word, football. The sport takes over the state every fall and when our teams aren't competing on the gridiron the the talk around Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Ruston, Monroe, New Orleans, and Pineville generally gravitates toward the next football season. 

While football may be the overarching king of the college experience in Louisiana we do know that there are other factors that play a part in how we view our time in school. The folks at USA Today recently asked an expert panel to review the Top Small College Towns in America.

One of the criteria to be considered for the list was the town must have a population of less than 50,000. So, it's a safe bet that LSU, UL-Lafayette, and the schools in New Orleans were not included in the survey since those towns have populations that exceed that number.

Those who made the selections for the 10 Best Small College Towns in the USA were asked to consider the "vibe" of the community, the dining and shopping options, and the various cultural offerings the community has for students and visitors.

To me, it was no surprise that so many of the schools represented in the Top 10 were located in the South. In fact the top city on the list was Florence Alabama. We'll give you bonus points if you know what school is located there. You're right it's the University of North Alabama.

Another Alabama school and town made the list at number 3. That would be Jacksonville, Alabama the home of Jacksonville State University. The 2nd place schools and towns were Ole Miss and Oxford Mississippi. As much as I despise The Rebels and their "hotty toddy" crap, I can't argue with the fact that Oxford is a nice place to visit. You just wouldn't want to go to school there. Sorry, is my Starkville Mississippi bias showing?

For the answer to that question, you have to travel to almost Arkansas to a place where a soon-to-be Buc-ee's will be the main reason people are aware of the town. Yes, the number six city and school on the USA Today list is none other than Ruston Louisiana. 

The USA Today article also referenced the town of Grambling and Grambling State University, so there is a lot to be said about college life in and around Ruston. The article suggested the cultural offerings in Ruston were quite impressive and they even pointed out the town's Downtown Beer Crawl as a highlight. 

Both schools located in and near Ruston, Louisiana Tech and Grambling State have their own unique features and selling points. The fact that the area was highlighted by USA Today is certainly an honor that should help bolster student visits and enrollment.

Congratulations Ruston. Your Buc-ee's will be opening soon and people around the country think highly of your colleges.