Best college town in every state

Best college towns in America: Ames, Iowa (Home of Iowa State University)

The Iowa State campus has been recognized by some internationally recognized publications for its beauty in architecture. Several of the buildings on campus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cyclones students get to walk through campus with a central lawn that was honored alongside Harvard and UVa as the best in the country. There are 13,000 trees on campus, which makes the view so much better.

Everything around campus is nature-driven as well. In the fall, in typical Iowa fashion, the foliage takes the spotlight. People from around the state will come to Ames to see the beauty of green, red, yellow, and orange leaves before everything turns brown.

The iconic image of Iowa State is the Campanile, a 110-foot tall building that stands just 16×16 at its base. Couples meet underneath the building every night to share a kiss at midnight, one of the many traditions for Cyclones students. The tradition is if you haven’t shared a kiss under the tower, you’re not a true Iowa State student.

Unlike other cities on the list, the campus is the true gem of this city. The work people put into this to make it a premiere college and one of the most beautiful campuses in the country is phenomenal.