Before sending your student back to campus, you might consider the quality of the water coming out of the faucets in their dorm or apartment. In partnership with ZeroWater, Culligan released the first-ever ranking of America’s college towns based on tap water quality, ranking the largest college towns in each state on a scale of A to F for lead and PFAS (“forever chemicals”). The timing is opportune, with the start of the school year approaching and water quality a growing concern for college-aged adults.
The best water filter pitchers, tested by CNET
This year’s incoming class is shaping up to be the most health-conscious: nearly 30% of Gen Z and Millennials surveyed say wellness matters more to them today than it did a year ago.
Findings suggest most college towns have work to do
Concerns about PFAS: About a third of cities scored a “C” or worse for PFAS contamination.
Widespread water contamination: Nearly all of the college towns Culligan assessed — 92 percent — had at least one harmful contaminant in their water supply. New York City was the only city to receive an “F” for lead levels.
Alarming lead levels: Only 8 of 50 college towns had water quality that met EPA lead standards.
College towns with the best water (overall)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico — University of New Mexico
- Blacksburg, Virginia — Virginia Tech
- Boise, ID — Boise State
- Durham, New Hampshire — University of New Hampshire
- Morgantown, West Virginia — West Virginia University
College towns with the worst water (overall)
- Columbia, South Carolina — University of South Carolina
- Tempe, Arizona — Arizona State
- Newark, DE — University of Delaware
- New York, New York—NYU
- New Brunswick, NJ — Rutgers
See the full list here.
Why it matters
Nearly 30% of Gen Z and millennials said wellness matters more to them this year than last, including water quality. The ranking gives new students an easy way to check what’s actually coming out of the tap in their new college town and decide if some form of filtration is necessary.
Why testing is important
CNET spoke with a water quality expert about testing countertop filters earlier this year. Dr. Eric Roy explained that the most harmful contaminants, including lead and PFAS, rarely affect the taste or odor of water, emphasizing the importance of having your local water tested, especially if it comes from a well. TapScore is one of the leading home water quality services, with lab testing for around $299.
Test methodology
Culligan ZeroWater analyzed public water quality data for each state’s largest university water system (based on 2024 IPEDS enrollment data), assessing lead levels against the EPA’s 10 ppb action level and five PFAS chemicals (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX) against UCMR5 monitoring data collected from 2023 to 2025.
David Watsky
Editor-in-Chief / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he has spent over a decade dealing in all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools, and cooking advice. David received his BA from Northeastern and has worked in almost every aspect of the food industry, including as a line cook in Rhode Island, where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now, he’s probably somewhere testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is her all-time favorite dish this week. See full bio