Daily News

Bay Path University Ranked as Safest Campus in Massachusetts, Third-safest in U.S.

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University is the safest college in Massachusetts and the third-safest in America, according to a recent list compiled by niche.com, which reviewed 1,400 schools and ranked the safest campuses in America for 2024.

The website’s 2024 Safest College Campuses ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using U.S. Department of Education data.

The site states that these top-ranked colleges offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs, or alcohol usage. Specific factors considered include campus crime rate, local crime grade, student surveys on safety, residence-hall date violence rate, residence-hall rape rate, alcohol-related arrests, and drug-related arrests.

“Campus safety is a priority for us,” said John Stankiewicz, Bay Path’s director of Public Safety. “We work very hard to make our on-campus population, which is quite small and tight-knit, feel like this is a protected, comfortable, and safe place to be. It’s part of Bay Path’s culture.

“From a facilities perspective, our main campus in Longmeadow and the Philip H. Ryan Center in East Longmeadow are well-lit and equipped with emergency call boxes and security cameras,” he added. “Our Public Safety staff performs routine patrols of our facilities 24/7, and we maintain an excellent relationship with the local fire and police departments. And we’ve recently implemented a new communications system, which, in addition to fostering a close, connected community, allows us to more efficiently and immediately share important safety messages with all students, staff, and faculty.”