State College, Pennsylvania, home to The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), recently won the award for Best Small College Town in America from the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
This award was selected by readers across the country for the best dynamic college-town environments with populations of no more than 50,000. A board of experts carefully chose the candidates as a group for the 2026 awards, and then proceeded to release them to the public, where readers would vote for the winners.
State College out-ranked a long list of competitive college towns to secure its number one spot. In getting first place, it outran Blacksburg, Virginia (Virginia Tech), Murray, Kentucky (Murray State University), and Oxford, Mississippi (University of Mississippi), along with 6 other candidates.
Happy Valley was specifically recognized for its vibrant culture, athletics, and unique campus community. It was also recognized for its blend of lively student life as well as multiple year-round events.
“It has, like, the assets of a city, but it’s a small town. [There are also opportunities] like service stuff and like stuff you can, like, give to our community. And a lot of entertainment opportunities,” freshman Sophia Rhymer said.
State College is said to have this “vibrant” feel because of its “town and gown” blend of Penn State University, as well as the surrounding small town.
State College has arts and cultural institutions, major Penn State influence, signature events throughout the year, diverse restaurants, a distinctive outdoor lifestyle, a sports-centered culture, and multiple historic sights offering insight into the history of State College.
State College’s arts and cultural scenes include, but are not limited to, the Palmer Museum of Art, the largest academic art museum in Pennsylvania, as well as places like the Center for the Performing Arts and the State Theater.
These are just a few of the many ways that State College stood out among the other competitors competing for the top spot. State High widely agrees with the No. 1 ranking, and students gave their take on the town they live in.
Freshman Nina Bao loves the opportunities offered in her hometown: “State College offers a lot of opportunities, such as education. It’s really good because all of the teachers are very focused on academics, and it also offers other opportunities, such as sports, since there are a variety of sports complexes in State College.”
Some sports complexes offered in State College are the Nittany Valley Sports Center (The Centre) and C3 Sports.
“I think just how up to date we are with things and that we are a lot more modern, and I think we’re just connected to other places and not as isolated,” freshman Charlyanna Sohn said.
Ultimately, State High as well as the whole State College community is proud to be a part of a now award-winning college town.
