It looks like Professor Jacobson has reason to be even more proud of his school.

The Cornell Daily Sun was recently selected as the “#1 Student Newspaper”. Now, the American Institute of Economic Research has chosen Ithaca as the country’s “Best College Town”.

Last week, the American Institute of Economic Research released its annual list of the best college towns in the country — naming Ithaca, New York as the best destination for students.

Ithaca is home to both Cornell University and Ithaca College, and is truly a welcoming and comfortable setting for students. As a former four-year resident of the town, I could not agree more with the AIER’s findings (I graduated from Cornell earlier this year).

Some of the reasons for the choice:

“Ithaca Is Gorgeous.” It’s the most cliched line anyone has ever said about the city, but it’s also true — Ithaca’s gorges are gorgeous, as is much of the surrounding area.

Students basically make up half the population. Ithaca is home to two major colleges — Cornell University and Ithaca College — which bring more than 20,000 to the city when school is in session, almost doubling the local population.

Its bar scene and nightlife are tailored to college living. To be blunt, one of the most important aspects of any college town is the local nightlife — and Ithaca has a great, student-oriented bar scene.

There’s an awesome local music scene. Ithaca also cultivates a great hometown music scene from Porchfest — where local musicians perform on their porches — to the nearby GrassRoots Music Festival.

It’s really easy to get around. Most places in Ithaca you would ever need to go are within walking or biking distance, although sometimes you’ll have to face some pretty nasty hills.

The mayor is a recent college graduate. In 2011, Ithaca took a chance on a young city official — Svante Myrick, Cornell Class of 2009 — by electing him mayor when he was only 24 years old.