College Towns That Double as Great Tourist Destinations

I love college towns, so it was with great interest that I read the article 15 College Towns That Double as Great Tourist Destinations. Of the 15 places on the list, I have visited six: Burlington, VT; Boulder, CO; Madison, WI; Annapolis, MD; Ithaca, NY; and Santa Fe, NM. I enjoyed all six of them and concur that they are excellent tourist destinations. 

That said, in my mind there is an enormous difference between Burlington, Boulder, and Ithaca vs. Madison, Annapolis, and Santa Fe. The latter three are all state capitals, which gives them a completely different feel than the previous three. They're less tie dye as they are power tie. That got me wondering what the actual definition of a college town is. It can't just be a town with a college in it; literally no one would say New York City is a college town despite being home to a shocking number of colleges and universities.

 It turns out there is an accepted definition for a college town:  

• College towns have a population smaller than 350,000 and are physically separated from a larger city. 
• College students make up at least 20% of the population. 
• The college is the major/primary employer in town and has a significant impact on the local economy. 
• The college shapes the cultural identity, public events, and social life of the town. 

This definition came from Blake Gumprecht, author of The American College Town (affiliate link). 

In 2008, Gumprecht developed a list of 305 cities in the US that meet the criteria to be a college town. In general, they "are known for having lively downtowns, picturesque residential neighborhoods, unusual cultural opportunities for cities so small, ample parks and recreational facilities, safe streets, and good schools."  They also tend to have a diverse culinary scene and plenty of hotel rooms for visiting parents and scholars. All these things add up to a great tourist destination. 

I've been to several dozen of the cities on the list. Of those, I picked my top 5 that I think belong on the list of great tourist destinations. (Yes, my alma mater is first.) Click on each graphic to read about our time in each of these awesome college towns. 

Yes, I do realize that Columbia is a state capital, but it feels more like a college town than any other state capital I've visited. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts about college towns that double as great tourist destinations. Do you agree with the 15 listed in the original article? How do you feel about my choices? Are there any ones you'd like to add? Let me know in the comments!