Two Alabama towns made USA Today’s 2025 list for the “10 Best Small College Towns in the United States,” and it’s (probably) not the two that you’re thinking.

The 10Best list, which consists of schools nominated by an expert panel and voted on by readers, is only open to college towns with a population of 50,000 or less, putting places like Auburn and Tuscaloosa out of the running.

Florence, Ala., home to the University of North Alabama, claimed the top spot on the ranking due to its musical history and the college’s popular entertainment program.

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“Part of the area known as The Shoals — Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals — music has been central to the area since the 1960s, when legendary studios like FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound began recording some of the world’s biggest hit songs,” the article reads. “Today, you can find live music every night in The Shoals, and the university’s entertainment program has been a forerunner in educating generations of musicians and industry professionals.”

Meanwhile, Jacksonville, Ala., where Jacksonville State University has been located since 1883, also scored a spot on the list, coming in third overall thanks to its appeal to bikers, birders and theatre enthusiasts alike.

“Visitors love riding Alabama’s first rails-to-trails bike path known as the Chief Ladiga Trail that wends through town, and birders find much to admire along the North Alabama Birding Trail,” according to the article. “Jacksonville’s theater scene is also a big draw in this college town, with productions at both the university and the Community Actors Studio Theatre.”

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Other small college towns that made the list include Oxford, Miss.; Murray, Ky.; Clemson, S.C.; Williamsburg, Va.; Ruston, La., and more.

For more information, read the full article on USA Today.