32 Underrated College Towns You'll Want To Move To

31. Mount Vernon, Iowa – Cornell College

Mount Vernon feels like a storybook village with an intellectual twist. Home to Cornell College (not the Ivy one), it’s a hilltop town where brick buildings and tree-lined streets create a timeless atmosphere. The college’s distinctive One Course At A Time model draws a thoughtful, motivated student body, and the town embraces it. There’s live music at the Lincoln Wine Bar, artist co-ops, and a Main Street that hasn’t lost its soul. It’s the kind of place where faculty host porch concerts and the whole town shows up for opening night at the local theater.