Safety at Colleges

I've been hearing a lot about safety on college campuses. Has anyone come across interesting stats or criteria used by the National Council for Home Safety regarding the least safe colleges? I'd like to know how they rank safety so that I can bear it in mind when making my own college decision.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security uses a variety of statistics and factors to evaluate the safety of a college campus. They rely heavily on the Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. When determining a campus's safety, the Council considers the following:

- Types of crime: This includes violent crimes like assault, robbery, and sexual offenses. Also important are non-violent crimes like burglary and car theft. Furthermore, the Council will look at drug and alcohol related offenses, since these can often contribute to safety risks on campus.

- Frequency of Crime: This is assessed relative to the size of the student body. A college with a large student body might naturally have more absolute crime, but the rate could be lower than a smaller college that sees less crime overall.

- Size and location of the school: Both urban and rural schools can face unique safety challenges. For instance, urban campuses often integrate with their city and may face issues associated with city crime, while rural campuses may struggle more with adequate security resources.

- Campus safety resources and initiatives: The Council also considers what proactive steps a school is taking to improve safety, such as employing campus police, putting up security cameras, offering safety training and seminars, implementing campus escort services, and maintaining well-lit walking paths.

Remember, even though statistics can provide a good starting point, they don't always capture the full picture. It can be very useful to read up on student testimonies or talk to current students about their own personal experiences and perceptions of safety on their campus — this perspective can provide very valuable insight. In addition, visiting a college can give you an opportunity to see first-hand what security measures are in place and how comfortable you feel on the campus.