100 Most Secure College Campuses in the US

When we talk about campus security, the prevention of property crime typically isn’t at the top of the agenda. Oftentimes it’s not on the agenda at all. Meanwhile, crimes like burglary, robbery, car theft, and larceny consistently dominate campus crime reports—in fact, burglary alone constituted 42% of all crimes reported by colleges in 2016.¹

Burglary alone constituted 42% of all crimes reported by colleges in 2016.¹

It goes without saying that property crime is a financial burden most college students can’t afford. We’re highlighting schools with the best campus security practices and the lowest rates of property crime and aggravated assault so you know the risk. Whether or not your college made the list, there is plenty that students can do on their own to prevent theft or damage to their own property. We’ll go over some basic crime stats and campus security tips later in this article.

Top 100 colleges with the lowest property crime rates

We analyzed 11 years’ worth of crime data² for hundreds of public and nonprofit colleges in the US. We focused on data from four-year schools that offer student housing and have an average yearly enrollment of 10,000 students or more. The list below includes the 100 colleges that had the lowest rates of property crime from 2007 through 2017.

Without further ado, here are the 100 most secure college campuses in the US, starting with the best of the best. (Congratulations, Touro!)

Quick Tip

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Rank	Institution	City	State
1	Touro College	New York	NY
2	Keiser University–Ft Lauderdale	Fort Lauderdale	FL
3	Columbia College	Columbia	MO
4	University of North Georgia	Dahlonega	GA
5	Park University	Parkville	MO
6	Purdue University Northwest	Hammond	IN
7	Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago	IL
8	Florida SouthWestern State College	Fort Myers	FL
9	Utah Valley University	Orem	UT
10	University of Wisconsin–La Crosse	La Crosse	WI
11	The New School	New York	NY
12	Pace University–New York	New York	NY
13	Liberty University	Lynchburg	VA
14	Kennesaw State University	Kennesaw	GA
15	Arizona State University–Downtown Phoenix	Phoenix	AZ
16	Brigham Young University–Idaho	Rexburg	ID
17	Nova Southeastern University	Fort Lauderdale	FL
18	Southern New Hampshire University	Manchester	NH
19	Indian River State College	Fort Pierce	FL
20	University of Alaska Anchorage	Anchorage	AK
21	Mercy College	Dobbs Ferry	NY
22	Brigham Young University–Provo	Provo	UT
23	College of Staten Island CUNY	Staten Island	NY
24	Grand Valley State University	Allendale	MI
25	Savannah College of Art and Design	Savannah	GA
26	Florida Gulf Coast University	Fort Myers	FL
27	University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire	Eau Claire	WI
28	Sam Houston State University	Huntsville	TX
29	University of Nebraska at Omaha	Omaha	NE
30	The University of Texas at San Antonio	San Antonio	TX
31	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Edinburg	TX
32	CUNY Hunter College	New York	NY
33	Idaho State University	Pocatello	ID
34	Saint Leo University	Saint Leo	FL
35	University of Southern Indiana	Evansville	IN
36	Baker College	Flint	MI
37	University of Akron Main Campus	Akron	OH
38	Texas Woman's University	Denton	TX
39	Georgia State University	Atlanta	GA
40	Wichita State University	Wichita	KS
41	Cleveland State University	Cleveland	OH
42	Utah State University	Logan	UT
43	California State University–Long Beach	Long Beach	CA
44	University of Puerto Rico–Mayaguez	Mayaguez	PR
45	California State University–San Marcos	San Marcos	CA
46	University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh	Oshkosh	WI
47	California State University–Fullerton	Fullerton	CA
48	Weber State University	Ogden	UT
49	Indiana University-Purdue University–Fort Wayne	Fort Wayne	IN
50	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore	MD
51	University of Minnesota–Duluth	Duluth	MN
52	George Mason University	Fairfax	VA
53	Central Michigan University	Mount Pleasant	MI
54	University of Missouri–Columbia	Columbia	MO
55	Oakland University	Rochester Hills	MI
56	Pensacola State College	Pensacola	FL
57	CUNY Queens College	Queens	NY
58	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs	CO
59	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	CA
60	Kent State University at Kent	Kent	OH
61	Montana State University	Bozeman	MT
62	Marshall University	Huntington	WV
63	Northern Kentucky University	Highland Heights	KY
64	North Dakota State University–Main Campus	Fargo	ND
65	Missouri State University–Springfield	Springfield	MO
66	Texas Tech University	Lubbock	TX
67	University of Alabama at Birmingham	Birmingham	AL
68	University of Nebraska–Lincoln	Lincoln	NE
69	Youngstown State University	Youngstown	OH
70	Colorado State University–Fort Collins	Fort Collins	CO
71	College of Charleston	Charleston	SC
72	University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls	IA
73	Webster University	Saint Louis	MO
74	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	Little Rock	AR
75	University of Wisconsin–Whitewater	Whitewater	WI
76	The University of Montana	Missoula	MT
77	University of North Texas	Denton	TX
78	California State University–Chico	Chico	CA
79	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin	TX
80	East Carolina University	Greenville	NC
81	Loyola University Chicago	Chicago	IL
82	Regis University	Denver	CO
83	University of Idaho	Moscow	ID
84	Boise State University	Boise	ID
85	University of Central Florida	Orlando	FL
86	University of Florida	Gainesville	FL
87	Rutgers University–Newark	Newark	NJ
88	University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg	MS
89	Troy University	Troy	AL
90	Georgia Southern University	Statesboro	GA
91	California State University–Sacramento	Sacramento	CA
92	University of Oklahoma–Norman Campus	Norman	OK
93	CUNY City College	New York	NY
94	Central Connecticut State University	New Britain	CT
95	Baylor University	Waco	TX
96	New York University	New York	NY
97	The University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson	TX
98	Texas A&M University–College Station	College Station	TX
99	University of North Florida	Jacksonville	FL
100	Johnson & Wales University–Providence	Providence	RI

Campus security and property crime statistics

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the rate of all on-campus property crimes has dropped significantly over the past 15 years.³ Various on-campus crimes were reported by postsecondary schools in the US during 2016 (the most recent data available), including the following:

12,015 burglaries—6,716 of which occurred in campus residence halls
1,106 robberies, with 208 reported in residence halls
3,499 motor vehicle thefts
2,200 aggravated assaults

Security tips for college students: How to prevent property crime on campus

Preventing burglary and break-ins

College students don’t typically consider home security systems as a viable tactic for preventing burglary—most of them assume the price tag will be too high or that a landlord won’t allow it. But the truth is that home security companies have heard these concerns and now offer several options specifically tailored for those on a budget or lease.

The best security system for a renter will likely be one that doesn’t require heavy-duty installation so you can easily take it with you from place to place each time you move. If you’re on a budget, you might also want to forgo professional monitoring and cut down costs by avoiding a contract.

Several companies specialize in DIY home security, offering even lower prices by letting you do everything yourself. If you do your research and compare different products and services, you’ll find that home security is a much more realistic option than you might have initially thought.

Preventing bike theft

Bike theft is a growing problem among college campuses across the US. So much so that many universities now offer programs to help. These programs typically encourage students to register their bikes with the campus police department, almost like they would with a car. This makes it easier for police to recover stolen bikes while also discouraging thieves looking to sell the stolen property.

If you have a bike, make sure to check what kind of resources your school offers and use them to your advantage. Additionally, you will want to get a heavy-duty bike lock. Cable locks may be cheap and popular, but they’re easy to break. Check out our list of top-reviewed bike locks to find the best one for you, and ensure that your source of transportation is safe from thieves.

Preventing larceny and ID theft

Larceny, particularly wallet theft, is one of the most commonly reported crimes on university campuses. For thieves, a wallet can be a goldmine. Cash and credit cards aside, students often keep their school ID cards in their wallet, which a thief could use to access residence halls and find even more valuable property to steal. That’s why it’s important for students to be mindful of the things they carry with them each day. If it’s not essential, it’s best to leave it home.

Another risk of losing your wallet or personal identification is identity theft. This type of crime is becoming increasingly common among students and can result in a potentially catastrophic blow to your finances if you don’t catch it in time. But there are ways to prevent this, such as using an identity theft protection service or issuing a credit freeze. If your wallet gets stolen, some form of credit monitoring will be a lifesaver.

Did your alma mater make the cut?

Though we didn’t have room to write about each individual college on our list, we’d love your input. Tell us about your experiences with campus property crime. Was it a cause for concern at your school? What did you do to prevent it? Let us know in the comments!

Methodology

We analyzed campus crime reports obtained from the US Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database spanning from the year 2007 to 2017. Our analysis included only public or nonprofit schools with four-year programs, student residential facilities, and an average enrollment of 10,000 or more per year. Each school was ranked based on the rate of on-campus property crimes per student from 2007 to 2017. Only the top 100 schools are listed above.

Sources

Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018”
U.S. Department of Education, “Campus Safety and Security”
National Center for Education Statistics, “Digest of Education Statistics”
Inside Higher Ed, “Preparing Freshmen for Crime Prevention”