The Best College Town in Indiana

By Elizabeth West (BA 26)

Have you ever dreamed of living in a town built on the edge of a sparkling blue-green lake, with cafes, shops, trails, and the small-town charm of Mayberry? Winona Lake, the home of Grace College, offers all this and more. That’s why we believe that we have the best college town in Indiana. 

The Village at Winona boasts the best of lakeside recreation, fine dining, artisan shops, and cozy cafes. The Village is a mere two blocks away from campus: that’s 30 seconds by car, 2 minutes by longboard, or 5 minutes by foot. No matter how you get there, a snowglobe resort town awaits you. 

Also just blocks from campus, is Warsaw, Indiana, where big business meets small town. Warsaw, the Orthopedic Capital of the World®, is home to Fortune 500 companies where engineering innovation abounds. 

Grace’s location is somewhat of an anomaly, but that’s what makes us one of the best small college towns. Read on to find out why our town is Indiana’s best-kept secret.

Ranked one of the best colleges near a river or a lake by the College Consensus, Grace is known for its beautiful setting and breathtaking sunsets. Every year, our incoming students are invited to a Preunion Lake Day with boat rides, tubing behind the Grace boat, and more. Our current students often spend time at the lake and enjoy swimming, paddleboarding, Bible studies on the beach, and many other activities. Not to mention, Winona Lake is only one of over 100 lakes and streams in our county, which combined provide endless hours of on-the-water fun. 

Learn about educational opportunities with the lakes through the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.

Warsaw and Winona Lake have a great mix of chain restaurants and unique eateries! Some of these are located just down the hill at the Village at Winona. And don’t worry – with The River, Three Crowns Coffee, and The Grove, you will not go without coffee or tea for your late-night study sessions. As a student at Grace, you’ll receive up to $200 with your meal plan to eat at the unique restaurants in the Village at Winona. We couldn’t possibly choose one as our favorite, so grab some friends, head down to the Village, and try them all!

Art enthusiasts, we’ve found the best college town for you. Warsaw and Winona Lake boast excellent performing arts centers, including the Wagon Wheel Theater. The Wagon Wheel brings Broadway-quality shows to town every year. Best of all, it is a theater-in-the-round, so there isn’t a bad seat in the house! Winona Lake is also home to numerous artisan shops and hosts art fairs each year where local vendors can sell their handcrafted goods.

For the history buffs out there, the town of Winona Lake is steeped in history. It is the home of renowned evangelist Billy Sunday and the backdrop of countless Bible conferences. Both the Billy Sunday Home and the Winona History Center are located on our campus, allowing students to be intricately involved. 

The Winona Lake Historic District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Our college does not just exist here; we thrive here. With several billion-dollar orthopedic companies in the neighborhood such as DePuy (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Medtronic, Paragon Medical, and Zimmer Biomet, our students form valuable connections and get hands-on experience in corporate America. We help guide students into internships through our applied learning experiences and provide over 250 opportunities in our area.

This is not rare in itself. We could make a list of hundreds of schools with big businesses close to campus, but to pair these career connections with our close-knit community, where you run into people you know at the store, is unique. 

Who said trails were just for the mountains? If you’re a biker, hiker, jogger, or walker, you will love Winona Lake! Home to over 5 miles of greenway trails and nearly 10 miles of mountain biking trails, you are sure to find an exciting route for your workout or recreational ride. Oh, and did we mention the greenway trails directly connect to our campus? Here, you’ll have easy, unlimited access to outdoor adventures.

Bikers and runners, we’ve found the best college town for you!

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. Our town belongs in a storybook or a snowglobe. This is why we made the Indiana Insider Blog “The 20 IN 20: You Won’t Believe the Charm in These 20 Small Towns.”  The charm of Winona Lake, Indiana, is undeniable.

But you will never truly understand why Winona Lake is the best college town until you experience it yourself. Schedule your visit to Winona Lake today! Once you’re here, you’ll never want to leave.

Learn more about what makes Warsaw/Winona Lake the best college town.