Rainey's Cabin · National Register of Historic Places
College’s story
100 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1926College is settled
CollegeAK
A town of 11,924, settled in 1926.
6 bordering townsMap →
Constitution Hall · Photo: Durkeeco · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
11,924
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$298K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
32.7
years
TownGrade
B
#13 of 41 in AK
Is College a good place to live?
College grades B overall, 13th of 41 graded towns in Alaska, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns and it is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. College’s January low is -12°F, below both the Alaska town median (7°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). College is home to University of Alaska Fairbanks. College has 4 places on the National Register.
What makes College stand out
Where College beats most towns.
Get outside
98 miles of trails in College
3.1% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How College grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far College is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 5.9% of households have no carA−Open →HealthFairbanks Memorial Hospital 3.3 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $298K, 3.4 years of the Fairbanks metro’s $88K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income$84K median household income; 6.5% below the poverty lineBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to College: who provides what
College is unincorporated, so Fairbanks North Star Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerGolden Valley Elec Assn31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCollege Utilities CorporationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesFairbanks North Star BoroughFairbanks North Star Borough provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes99709, 9977599709 96% · 99775 4%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in College.
OutdoorsA−
Trail density in College is higher than in most of Alaska or the rest of the country
College’s trail density is 5.2 miles per square mile. Goldstream Public Use Area, at 384 acres with 5.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 3.1% of the land in College is conserved.
#1for trails in AK
| College | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 5.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 15% | 4.3% |
3.1%
conserved · 375 of 12,107 acres
98 mi
of trails · 5.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge | 6 mi | 249 |
| 2. Goldstream Public Use Area | 5.3 mi | 384 |
| 3. Pearl Creek Park | 5.1 mi | 113 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
On state tests, College’s schools beat 56% of Alaska districts
Its public schools are run by the Yukon-Koyukuk School District. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is West Valley High School, with 782 students.
56%of AK districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Creek ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 388 | A |
| Raven SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 3,687 | C |
| Watershed Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 200 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
College’s grade for health is an A−
67% of adults had a checkup this year in College. College beats the Alaska average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 8.4% of adults have diabetes in College.
78%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| College | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 68% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
10 better22 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | College | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.9% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 14.3% |
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
3.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
76th
percentile among AK towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Earthquakes leads a high hazard risk in College
Since 1980, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in College.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesCold wavesWildfire
12
paid flood claims since 1980
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In College, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
The College Obsy weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 111 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average -11.5°, colder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 71.3°.
College has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. The July high in College is 71°F. About 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-8–6°
Spring20–43°
Summer48–69°
Fall17–33°
Sep 6
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Alaska overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 31% of residents (25% statewide). 40% of College adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
32.7median age · AK 35.8
| College | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 27% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 13% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 24% | 22% |
CollegeAlaskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school19%
Some college28%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate23%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 128 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.3 points). Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| College | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.2% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.7% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.7% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.9% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.6% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.6% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in College sells for about $387K at the median
$387Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
41
days on market
100%
sale-to-list price
10
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Pioneer Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around College. Close and well known come first.
2 mi Park & preservePioneer Park
in town MuseumUniversity of Alaska Museum of the North7 mi Ski areaMoose Mountain Ski Resort98 runs · 1,311 ft vertical17 mi Ski areaSki Land (Mt Aurora)45 runs · 1,084 ft vertical
in town GardenGeorgeson Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pioneer Park: Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Alaska Museum of the North: Maureen amerune, CC BY 2.0 · Georgeson Botanical Garden: Abalg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about College
17pages on College
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of College
University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity or college · Public · CollegeIn town$8,736 in-state tuition
College town 15 of every 100 College residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
College town
15% of College is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Landmarks
4 places in College on the National Register of Historic Places.
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College’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with College.
Farmers LoopFairbanksSouth Van HornChena RidgeGoldstreamEsterCollege
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College | #13 | B | C | — | B | A− |
| Farmers Loop | #6 | B+ | C+ | — | B | A− |
| Fairbanks | #38 | C− | C | D | B | B+ |
| South Van Horn | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chena Ridge | #15 | B− | C+ | — | B | A |
| Goldstream | #7 | B | B+ | — | B | A |
| Ester | #25 | C+ | B− | — | B | A |
College, Farmers Loop, Chena Ridge, Goldstream and Ester report no FBI crime data of their own. South Van Horn isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare College with a neighbor →
Questions about College
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is College, AK a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. College grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #13 of 41 in Alaska. It grades A− for health and B for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is College, AK expensive?
The typical home is worth about $298,000, 25% below the Alaska typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.