So what are the safest and most dangerous campuses out there?

<p>I want to feel safe when I apply for some colleges</p>

<p>By the way, I'm only a sophomore</p>

<p>hello.....</p>

<p>By law, schools have to publish their crime statistics. Look up, or ask them for, their "Cleary Act" statistics.</p>

<p>Dartmouth for safest...for obvious reasons.</p>

<p>Columbia for not...for obvious reasons.</p>

<p>No qualifications necessary folks. This is just fact.</p>

<p>I guess avoid urban campuses.</p>

<p>I've lived in Upper Manhattan for over a year. As such, I'm quite familiar with Morningside Heights, where Columbia is located. The neighborhood is not particularly unsafe.</p>

<p>In fact, New York City's crime rate is significantly below the national average. Nor is Morningside Heights particularly dangerous compared to NYC in general.</p>

<p>Crime statistics are useful in most cases. However, they should not be assumed to tell the whole story. In particular, crime statistics measure crimes which are reported, not crimes which are committed. The two don't always correlate.</p>

<p>Truth. Oh and put in Upenn for unsafe as well.</p>

<p>tulane is dangerous i think</p>

<p>You should exercise reasonable caution anywhere you go. Who would have thought that Va Tech was dangerous? For that matter, a Dartmouth faculty couple were murdered in their home a few years ago. You can't guarantee "safety" anywhere. Sure the crime rate differs in urban vs rural environments, but, with both my s's choosing to attend urban schools (including one at Tulane), as long as they were/are smart and careful, hopefully they will be safe. The one that was in Houston was fine, even though he lived in a gentrifying part of town for one year. Be smart and you will be safe.</p>

<p>I hate that answer. </p>

<p>To a person who actually wants answers and examples that doesn't help at all.</p>

<p>
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tulane is dangerous i think

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</p>

<p>I stayed in a hotel by Tulane within the past year and I can say there are a LOT of bums, but I didn't feel particularly unsafe.</p>

<p>i have a friend that got mugged walking from a freshman function back to his dorm at 9 pm at st joe's in philadelphia</p>

<p>i visited new orleans in the summer and it wasnt that bad.... maybe it was because i was in the french quarter?</p>

<p>You're going to find crime EVERYWHERE people. If you really want to know, check the websites of all the schools you want to go to or google a cumulative list of college crime statistics. I'm sure there is one out there.</p>

<p>Berkeley is definitely VERY unsafe.</p>

<p>I'd say UMich is pretty safe. You can walk virtually anywhere in the city of Ann Arbor and feel comfortable.</p>

<p>mysoj1230-
Why badmouth a school just because it is in an urban location? I "hate" reponses that do that. Sorry if you "hate" the truth. Groupiegirls response (#15) is very approriate, IMO.</p>

<p>As for Tulane, the hotels "near" campus are on St Charles Ave. in the Garden district, a beautiful area of old stately million dollar homes. I have stayed there probably 6 or more times so far and I dont recall seeing any "bums". That said, my s is still careful where he goes. The area is one in which if you go a block or 2 in the wrong direction you can find yourself in an area you dont want to be in. The students walk together in groups when they go off campus and stay away from these areas. The school hosts safety meetings and distributes emergency contact phone numbers. Truthfully, I was concerned about the safety issue when he chose to attend, but so far it hasnt been a problem.</p>

<p>Some other schools that have some rougher neighborhoods nearby are Penn, Johns Hopkins, UIUIC, USC, Ga Tech, Columbia, BU to name a few. Yale has some sketchy areas too. </p>

<p>This topic comes up frequently and you can do a search on CC to find them. If you are worried about "safety", choose a rural, gated school (ie closed campus with guards at the entrance). That still doesnt guarantee your safety, but you may feel safer walking around by yourself at night.</p>

<p>Talk to the security office at the colleges you are looking at. I did that with my daughter so she could hear what the officer said. In this one case, he said theft is the biggest problem, done by outside people that are in their late teens - early 20's. They blend right in and students will be nice and hold the doors open for them. The officer said violence was very rare. He looked right at my daughter and said she should lock her door always and not leave her computer out in plain sight. (She would have rolled her eyes if I said this.) I think going up to a random officer will give you a better idea than trying to analyze the data that gets reported.</p>

<p>Boston University? Surely you jest (and I'm not calling you "Shirley", ha ha). Northeastern perhaps, with Roxbury nearby (which has itself become quite gentrified). But aside from a few "student ghetto" areas of Allston, there is nothing remotely sketchy to be found within a few miles of BU. Parts of Cambridge and Somerville (the artist formerly known as "Slummerville") are more dangerous than the area of Boston surrounding BU.</p>