Top 10 College Towns in United States Revealed in New Ranking

The 2026 college football season will feature 138 FBS programs with North Dakota State and Sacramento State joining the fold.

While the sport of college football already has built-in on-field rivalries across the country, there are also rivalries over non-football topics. Whether it be which program has the best stadium, pregame tradition, helmet logo, party life or even nicest campus, everything in college football is a competition.

With the season so far away, now seems like the best time to fire fans up over a topic, and the people over at Southern Living Mag did just that. They released their rankings of the top 10 college towns in the country, and some of them may surprise you.

Top 10 college towns in the U.S.

It is worth noting that these were reader-voted, but that disclaimer still likely won't ease the minds of the college towns that were left off.

The order of the list goes as follows:

1. Athens, Georgia

2. Chapel Hill, North Carolina

3. Charleston, South Carolina

4. Knoxville, Tennessee

5. Boone, North Carolina

6. Clemson, South Carolina

7. Gainsville, Florida

8. Lexington, Kentucky

9. Auburn, Alabama

10. Oxford, Mississippi

Six of the 10 towns that were featured in the rankings are the home of an SEC program, with schools such as Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Auburn, and Ole Miss all represented.

Georgia Bulldogs student fans. — Georgia Bulldogs student fans watch the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As explained by Tara McKay, the voting takes place over the course of three months, and saw over 17,000 responses.

"An online survey was conducted by third-party agency Proof Insights among Southern Living consumers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South," wrote McKay. "The survey was fielded from July 9 to September 9, 2025, and had over 17,000 respondents."

In terms of why Georgia came in as the No. 1 college town, McKay cited its historic downtown area with plenty of exploration available for visitors.

"A perennial favorite, Athens is beloved by many for its laid-back charm and vibrant historic downtown," wrote McKay. "With well over 100 bars, restaurants, and shops, you’ll never be short of places to explore. Iconic bands like R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, and The B-52’s all got their start here, so seeing live music at a historic haunt like the 40 Watt Club or the Georgia Theatre is a must."

It'll take some more voters to knock off Athens, but clearly the home of the Bulldogs is doing something right.