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

Recent data highlights the most dangerous college towns in the U.S. for 2025. Each town presents unique challenges, but former U.S. Secret Service agent and campus security expert, Bobby McDonald, believes there are numerous ways students can protect themselves.

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

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

This study assessed 26 U.S. college towns, adjusting rates of violent crime, property crime, drug offenses, and weapons violations to 10,000 residents, which enables fair comparisons among communities of varying sizes.

Bloomington, Indiana, completes the top 10 list with 85 crimes per 10,000 residents. From 2023 to 2024, a 24% decline in violent crime was reported by the Bloomington Police Department.