How do you determine whether a school is a rural/small town? What is the difference between the two?

Areas are considered rural and small towns based on location data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Students who believe they reside in a rural or small town but did not receive an invitation are welcome to self-nominate. Please note that rural and small town eligibility is determined by NCES data as of February 10, 2023. You can look up your area here.