Great College Towns for Retirement

Best Places to Retire

Across the nation an increasing number of people are retiring to college towns. The atmosphere of college towns is extremely attractive to retirees. You get a little bit of everything in a college town — cultural activities, athletic events, educational opportunities, and excellent medical facilities — which make them perfect places to retire. It’s no wonder that they are becoming some of the most popular retirement destinations.

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Great college towns have a spark that comes not only from young blood, but from jazz clubs, literary events, musical performances, theater arts, book stores and cafes. They are intellectual, cultural and economic hubs, balancing tradition with new business growth. Often they mix urban amenities and small-town charm.

The campuses in small and medium-size towns and cities have become magnets for their surrounding communities for culture as well as commerce. And as our population has aged, increasing focus has been given to including retirees in the enjoyment of culture. Communities have started to realize that the senior of today — a more active, curious and affluent group than ever before — have potential to aid their communities by their experiences, their energies, and their willingness to participate. Most of the colleges and universities listed below offer educational opportunities for adults. In some cases seniors may audit courses but frequently there are limits on the number of people that can enroll in a class and there are other rules that may limit class participation. With the proliferation of senior housing options, it is likely that the area will have an active adult community, a continuing care retirement community, or an assisted living facility.

To find one, check our Directory of Great Places to Retire, talk to a local Realtor, or look in the local Yellow Pages. Listed below are 99 great college towns for retirement — with links to their municipal Web site and the local college or university Web site.

State/CityCollege or University
Alabama 
AuburnAuburn University
TuscaloosaUniversity of Alabama
Arizona 
FlagstaffNorthern Arizona University
TempeArizona State University
Arkansas 
FayettevilleUniversity of Arkansas
California 
ArcataHumboldt State University
BerkeleyUniversity of California – Berkeley
ChicoCalifornia State University, Chico
DavisUniversity of California, Davis
La JollaUniversity of California at San Diego
San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University
Santa CruzUniversity of California at Santa Cruz
Colorado 
AlamosaAdams State College
BoulderUniversity of Colorado – Boulder
DurangoFort Lewis College
Fort CollinsColorado State University
Grand JunctionMesa State College
GreeleyUniversity of Northern Colorado
Connecticut 
New HavenYale University
 Southern Connecticut State University
 Albertus Magnus College
Florida 
GainesvilleUniversity of Florida
TallahasseeFlorida State University
 Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Georgia 
AthensUniversity of Georgia
StatesboroGeorgia Southern University
Idaho 
Boise, IdahoBoise State University
MoscowUniversity of Idaho
Illinois 
UrbanaUniversity of Illinois
Champaign 
Indiana 
BloomingtonIndiana University
  
Iowa 
AmesIowa State University
Iowa CityUniversity of Iowa
Kansas 
HaysFort Hays State University
LawrenceUniversity of Kansas
ManhattanKansas State University
Kentucky 
Lexington, KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
  
Louisiana 
NatchitochesNorthwestern State University
 Louisiana Scholars’ College
  
Maine 
BrunswickBowdoin College
PortlandUniversity of Southern Maine
Maryland 
SalisburySalisbury University
Massachusetts 
AmherstAmherst College
 University of Massachusetts
 Hampshire College
NorthamptonSmith College
South HadleyMount Holyoke College
WilliamstownWilliams College
Michigan 
Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan
 Concordia University Ann Arbor
Mississippi 
HattiesburgUniversity of Southern Mississippi
OxfordUniversity of Mississippi
StarkvilleMississippi State University
Missouri 
ColumbiaUniversity of Missouri – Columbia
 Stephens College
 Columbia College
RollaUniversity of Missouri – Rolla
Montana 
BozemanMontana State University
MissoulaUniversity of Montana
New Hampshire 
HanoverDartmouth College
New Jersey 
PrincetonPrinceton University
New Mexico 
Las CrucesNew Mexico State University
Las VegasNew Mexico Highlands University
  
New York 
BinghamtonBinghampton University
IthacaCornell University
 Ithaca College
New PaltzState University of New York at New Paltz
OneontaState University of New York College at Oneonta
 Hartwick College
Stony BrookStone Brook University
 State University of New York
North Carolina 
AshevilleUniversity of North Carolina – Asheville
BooneAppalachian State University
Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
DavidsonDavidson College
DurhamDuke University
 North Carolina Central University
GreenvilleEast Carolina University
RaleighNorth Carolina State University
North Dakota 
BismarkUniversity of Mary
Oklahoma 
NormanUniversity of Oklahoma
Oregon 
AshlandSouthern Oregon University
CorvallisOregon State University
EugeneUniversity of Oregon
La GrandeEastern Oregon University
SalemWillamette University
Pennsylvania 
State CollegePennsylvania State University
South Carolina 
AikenUniversity of South Carolina at Aiken
CharlestonCollege of Charleston
 Charleston Southern University
 University of South Carolina
ClemsonClemson University
ColumbiaUniversity of South Carolina at  Columbia
 Benedict College
 Columbia College
ConwayCoastal Carolina University
South Dakota 
BrookingsSouth Dakota State University
Tennessee 
MurfreesboroMiddle Tennessee State University
Texas 
AustinUniversity of Texas
NacogdochesStephen F. Austin State University
San MarcosTexas State University
Utah 
Cedar CitySouthern Utah University
Provo CityBrigham Young University
OremUtah Valley State College
St. GeorgeDixie University
Vermont 
BurlingtonUniversity of Vermont
 Burlington College
 Champlain College
MiddleburyMiddlebury College
Virginia 
CharlottesvilleUniversity of Virginia
HarrisonburgJames Madison University
 Eastern Mennonite University
WilliamsburgCollege of William and Mary
Washington 
BellinghamWestern Washington University
EllensburgCentral Washington University
PullmanWashington State University
West Virginia 
MorgantownWest Virginia University
Wisconsin 
MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin
 Edgewood College
MenomonieUniversity of Wisconsin – Stout

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