2 NC College Towns Rank Top in South's Best List

Two North Carolina college towns rank high on Southern Living's reader-voted list of the South's best college towns for 2026. Chapel Hill claims No. 2, while Boone secures No. 5 among the top 10, blending vibrant campus life with downtown culture. More than 17,000 readers surveyed between July and September 2025 praise their welcoming communities and traditions. Athens, Georgia, tops the list, followed by Charleston, South Carolina.