What Are the Best College Cities in the United States?
College is an experience that is much more than just education. If you are moving for school, it matters which city you will call home. The location will shape you as an individual over the course of the next four years. You will be spending many nights visiting bars, taking in local culture, and seeking entertainment in your new home. If you are a social butterfly, location is equally as important as the university itself.
The American Institute For Economic Research released their 2017 report detailing the best college cities in America. Their definition of “city” is a metropolis with a minimum of 2.5 million residents. The factors used to determine the best college cities in America include Diversity, College Educated (% of population), City Access, Bars and Restaurants, Arts and Entertainment, Youth Unemployment, Labor-Force Participation, Innovation, and Rent.
The top 15 college cities in the U.S. are:
15. Miami, Florida
14. St. Louis, Missouri (ranks #1 for Rent)
13. Atlanta, Georgia
12. Baltimore, Maryland
11. San Diego, California
10. Houston, Texas (ranks #2 for Diversity)
9. Dallas, Texas
8. Chicago, Illinois
7. Los Angeles, California (ranks #1 for Arts and Entertainment)
6. New York, New York (ranks #1 for City Access)
5. Seattle, Washington
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. Washington, District of Columbia (ranks #1 for College Educated)
2. Boston, Massachusetts (ranks #1 for Innovation)
1. San Francisco, California (ranks #1 for Diversity)
People smarter than me put together this list. But I feel like San Fran shouldn’t be number one given how astronomically expensive it has become to live there. You can’t even get a hotel in San Francisco for under $150 a night unless you are willing to give up things like elevators, air conditioning, and a guarantee rats won’t take a bath in your sink.
Source: Business Insider
