With college-application deadlines approaching and students scheduling campus visits for the spring, the personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst College Cities & Towns in America.
To identify the college cities and towns offering the best combination of academic, social and economic growth potential for college students, WalletHub ranked 326 U.S. cities based on 23 key metrics, ranging from the quality of higher education to crime rates to cost of living.
| Best Large College Cities | Best Midsize College Cities & Towns | Best Small College Cities & Towns | |||
| Rank | City | Rank | City | Rank | City |
| 1 | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | Gainesville, FL | 1 | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2 | Atlanta, GA | 2 | Cincinnati, OH | 2 | College Station, TX |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 3 | Madison, WI | 3 | Iowa City, IA |
| 4 | Houston, TX | 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | 4 | Provo, UT |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | 5 | Tempe, AZ | 5 | Cambridge, MA |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | 6 | Orlando, FL | 6 | Columbia, MO |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | 7 | Tallahassee, FL | 7 | Champaign, IL |
| 8 | Tampa, FL | 8 | Durham, NC | 8 | Berkeley, CA |
| 9 | Nashville, TN | 9 | Buffalo, NY | 9 | Athens, GA |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | 10 | Fort Collins, CO | 10 | Lawrence, KS |
Key Stats
- The cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment is three times more expensive in Irvine, Calif., than in Las Cruces, N.M.
- The adjusted cost of living for young people in Santa Monica, Calif., is two times higher than in Edinburg, Texas.
- The cost of higher education in Providence, R.I., is 10 times higher than in Provo, Utah.
- Bloomington, Ind., has 9 times as many students per capita as Pasadena, Texas.
- Boulder, Colo., has 32 times as many cafés per capita as Pasadena, Texas.
- The number of violent crimes per capita is 46 times higher in Detroit than in Orem, Utah.
- The percentage of part-time jobs in Bloomington, Ind., is three times higher than in Paterson, N.J.
For the full report and to see where your city ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-college-cities-and-towns-in-america/8974/