As students head back to campus this fall, safety is once again top of mind for parents and new and returning students alike. 

New data reveals the most dangerous college towns in America for 2025 and, while each has its own challenges, former U.S. Secret Service agent and campus security expert Bobby McDonald says there is that plenty students can do to protect themselves.

“Common sense on the front end will negate a lot of bad things on the back end,” McDonald told Fox News Digital. “Safety needs to become muscle memory, like buckling a seat belt.”

Compiled by Wasatch Defense Lawyers, the 2025 “Most Dangerous College Towns” rankings are based on a two-year analysis (May 2023–May 2025) of crime data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system and local police departments. 

The study examined 26 U.S. college towns, normalizing rates of violent crime, property crime, drug offenses and weapons violations per 10,000 residents to allow fair comparisons across different-sized communities.

Bloomington, Indiana, rounds out the top 10 with 85 crimes per 10,000 residents. From 2023 to 2024, the Bloomington Police Department reported a 24% drop in violent crime.