10 Best College Towns to Call Home

From Boulder, CO home to the University of Colorado to Gainesville, FL home of the University of Florida, there’s good reason to call these university towns home away from home.

It’s about that time of year when millions of college students are packing up the car and heading out on their own.  In case you empty-nesters want to follow your kids to college, here are some homes in 10 of the Best College Towns across the U.S., according to Best College Reviews.  From Boulder, CO home to the University of Colorado to Gainesville, FL home of the University of Florida, there’s good reason to call these university towns home away from home.

Boulder, CO

1838 Mariposa Ave, Boulder, CO listed by Karen Bernardi with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

From great food to great views, there’s a reason Boulder, CO is voted one of the best cities to call home, whether you’re a student at the University of Colorado or a lover of the outdoors.  With views of the flathills from this home’s backyard, we think it would be the perfect spot to breathe in the clear Colorado air.

Ann Arbor, MI 

506 Glendale Circle, Ann Arbor, MI listed by the AMREA Team with Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

Home to the University of Michigan Wolverines, school spirit is in the water in beautiful Ann Arbor. Naturally, we had to find a home with a great green for backyard football games. This home, located in Ann Arbor’s desirable West Side has just the spot!

Madison, WI

213 Lynne Cir, Verona, WI  listed by Kathy Bartels with Coldwell Banker Success

Located between two lakes, Madison, WI, home of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers plenty of outdoor activities for everyone.  A buzzing downtown area, highly educated population and several major international employers makes this home of the Badgers a great place to call home.

Ames, IA

2307 167th Place, Ames, IA listed by Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group, Realtors

Ames, Iowa is the proud homeplace of Iowa State University and the Cyclones.  Situated in the heart of the midwest, this university town’s motto of the “smart choice” rings true.

Berkeley, CA

2230 6th Street, Berkeley, CA listed by Michael Schwartz with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Home to the oldest campus in the University of California system, the University of California, Berkeley is known as one of the most politically liberal cities in the world.  It could be said that Berkeley residents keep open minds and open floor plans, like the one in this classically California home.

Chapel Hill, NC

312 Glendale Drive, Chapel Hill, NC listed by Kimberly Boyer with Coldwell Banker Howard Perry And Walston

Chapel Hill, NC is home to the nation’s first public university – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  While Chapel Hill may be situated in an area known as the “Research Triangle,” we didn’t have to look far to see why living in this college town is so great.

State College, PA

1032 Kathryn Street, Boalsburg, PA listed by Andrea Wildy with Coldwell Banker University Realty

If the name of the town – State College, PA – didn’t give away that it’s a college town, the fact that this home is listed by Coldwell Banker University Realty might hammer it home.  The State College area, also often affectionately known as “Happy Valley,” is home to Pennsylvania State University, one of the largest universities in the country with over 46,000 undergraduates.

Iowa City, IA 

32 Marietta Ave, Iowa City, IA listed by Tim Lehman with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Professionals

Home to the University of Iowa, Iowa City is the only City of Literature in North America as awarded by UNESCO in 2008.  A member of the Big Ten Conference, U of I Hawkeye sports are a big part of life in this midwestern college town.  Luckily, this Iowa City home has plenty of entertaining space to watch NCAA basketball with the whole family.

Corvallis, OR

206 NW 8TH STREET, Corvallis, OR listed by Dava Behrens with Coldwell Banker Valley Brokers

The westernmost city in the 48 contiguous United States, Corvallis not only offers an interesting perspective, but a great way of life.  Home to Oregon State University, Corvallis is listed as one of the smartest cities in the U.S and has a consistently high life expectancy rate.

Gainesville, FL

10488 SW 41st AVE, Gainesville, FL listed by Lauretta Fogg with Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors

In 2007, Gainesville was ranked as one of the “best places to live and play” in the United States by National Geographic Adventure.  Home to the University of Florida, Gainesville’s 120,000 population is nearly half students.  With warm weather throughout the year, we can see what attracts students and residents alike.

Victoria Keichinger

Victoria Keichinger is the Vice President, Brand Marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. When she's not managing national media and advertising for the Coldwell Banker brand at work, she finds herself most at home in Jersey City, NJ with her pre-school crush turned spouse and son. A true Francophile, she loves to travel and will go anywhere there are ski slopes.