A recent analysis has identified Shreveport, Louisiana, as the most dangerous college town in the United States, with the University of Louisiana State Health Sciences Center reporting 788 violent crimes per 100,000 students in 2024. The study, conducted by Lesson Maker Pro, assessed 174 college towns nationwide, using seven safety metrics including incidents of sexual assault, hate crimes, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Data was drawn from the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Database and normalized per 10,000 students to enable comparisons across campuses.

Following Shreveport, Boulder, Colorado, home to the University of Colorado, was ranked as the second most dangerous college town. The university recorded the second-highest number of reported rapes nationally in 2024, with 96 reported cases. A 2024 survey indicated that nearly 20% of women at CU-Boulder reported experiencing sexual assault since starting at the university, marking an increase from 15% in 2021.

While the study highlighted concerns in some areas, it also identified safer campuses. Dallas, Texas, was rated the safest city for college students, achieving a near-perfect safety score of 0.11. The city hosts nine higher education institutions, including Southern Methodist University. Close behind was Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida, which earned a safety score of 0.16. Reported incidents in Gainesville remained below one per 10,000 students across all measured categories. The University of Florida is ranked 21st among public universities nationally.

The findings underscore the wide variance in campus safety across the country and highlight ongoing challenges related to student security, particularly with regard to violence against women. Institutions and communities with higher rates of crime may face increased scrutiny as they work toward improving campus safety protocols and support resources.