Boulder and Dallas Rank as Most and Least Dangerous College Towns, Study Finds

Boulder, Colorado, home to the University of Colorado, has been identified as one of the most dangerous college towns in America, according to a new study by Lesson Maker Pro. In contrast, Dallas, Texas, was ranked as the safest college town among 174 locations evaluated.

The study examined seven safety metrics, including Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) violations, hate crimes, robberies, and aggravated assaults, using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Database. Crime rates were calculated per 10,000 students.

Shreveport, Louisiana, which hosts Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, was identified as the most dangerous college town overall. However, Boulder, Colorado, ranked second, largely due to a high number of reported rapes. The study indicated that in 2024, the University of Colorado, Boulder recorded 96 rapes, the second-highest total nationwide. A 2024 survey cited by The Colorado Sun revealed that nearly one in five women at CU-Boulder reported being sexually assaulted since arriving on campus, an increase from 15% in 2021.

Among the safest college towns, Dallas stood out with a safety score of 0.11 across its nine higher-education institutions, including Southern Methodist University (SMU) and The University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas reported exceptionally low crime figures, with minimal incidents per 10,000 students in categories such as VAWA offenses, disciplinary actions, robberies, aggravated assaults, and sex offenses. Zero campus fires or hate crimes were recorded in the study’s dataset for the city.

Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida, was the second-safest college town with a score of 0.16. Incident rates per 10,000 students remained below one across all assessed categories.

Other cities appearing on the list of least safe college towns include Langston, Oklahoma; Petersburg, Virginia; and Swainsboro, Georgia. Langston University ranked third, with high rates of disciplinary actions and robberies. Petersburg, Virginia, also ranked low, with an incident in August where five people were shot, including one student critically injured, at Virginia State University. Swainsboro, Georgia, home to Georgia Southern University, also appeared at the bottom of the safety list, with five fraternities under investigation for alleged code of student conduct violations.

The study highlighted that while Dallas and Gainesville offer comparatively safer environments, isolated incidents can still occur. For example, a University of Florida student was barred from entering campus properties after a sexual battery arrest in October.