The Safest College Campuses ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Top-ranked colleges offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs, or alcohol usage. Learn where our data comes from.
| Factor | Description | Source | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campus Crime Rate | Rate of nonsexual crimes committed on campus property per 1,000 students, as reported by the college. | U.S. Dept. of Education | 25.0% |
| Local Crime Grade | Niche’s Crime & Safety Grade, which incorporates statistics that capture a location’s general safety. | Multiple Sources | 25.0% |
| Student Surveys on Safety | Niche survey responses scored on a 1-5 scale regarding campus safety at each school. | Self-reported by Niche users | 25.0% |
| Residence Hall Date Violence Rate | Incidents of Residence Hall Date Violence per 1,000 students. | U.S. Dept. of Education | 7.5% |
| Residence Hall Rape Rate | Incidents of Residence Hall Rape per 1,000 students. | U.S. Dept. of Education | 7.5% |
| Alcohol-Related Arrests | Rate of alcohol-related arrests on campus per 1,000 students, as reported by the college. | U.S. Dept. of Education | 5.0% |
| Drug-Related Arrests | Rate of drug-related arrests on campus per 1,000 students, as reported by the college. | U.S. Dept. of Education | 5.0% |
The same methodology is used to produce the Niche Safety Grade for each ranked school as well as additional 4-year colleges, community colleges, trade schools, and other 2-year programs. Statistics obtained from the U.S. Department of Education represent the most recent data available, as self-reported by the colleges. Niche also collects data directly from schools via our school data update form. If you work for a school and would like to update your data, please claim your school.
For more details about how we calculate our rankings, click here.