Choosing where to attend college is one of the most impactful decisions a young person can make in their lives – but it’s also one that can be fraught with pitfalls. The ideal university for one person might leave another student unhappy and dissatisfied.
To mitigate the anxiety around choosing the right school, WalletHub, a personal finance website, released an analysis of the country’s best college towns. The study compared more than 400 U.S. cities based on their performance across three categories: wallet friendliness, social environment, and academic and economic opportunities. The scores in each category were based on 31 metrics, including cost of living, students per capita, and share of rental units.
“Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, in a statement.
“Towns with a low cost of living, plenty of activities and large student populations can make your college experience a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”
Data for the study was pulled from several sources, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, TripAdvisor (TRIP), and the National Center for Education Statistics.
Continue reading to learn more about the 10 best college towns in America.
