10 cities wooing new college grads

For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down offices and mainstreamed remote work, the majority of new college graduates are expecting to begin their careers working in-person and not from home.

As summer comes to a close, more than a million of those recent graduates are migrating into the workforce, with certain cities seeing an uptick in new workers.

The east coast and California continue to attract a large percentage of recent graduates, with 44% of all 2024 graduates and 77% of graduates from top-20 universities moving to the country’s top ten major metropolitan areas, according to a recent study from commercial real estate and investment management company JLL.

“By virtue of robust job availability, most major office markets are continuing to attract a disproportionate amount of college grads, serving as talent magnets that entice pipelines from nearby metros and other markets entirely,” said Jacob Rowden, Senior Manager, Office Research at JLL.

“Most new graduates will never relocate to a different metro after establishing their career, so in capturing a greater share of newly minted talent, these cities are creating a positive feedback loop that will help drive long-term innovation and stronger economic outcomes.”

While the northeast and the west coast continue to attract new graduates, other regions are also seeing a noticeable increase in young professionals. Sun Belt cities – such as Atlanta, Austin, and Dallas – are benefiting from attracting a 31% increase in their share of knowledge economy jobs.

At the same time, affordable Midwestern cities – including Cincinnati, Columbus, and Pittsburgh – attracted 38,000 more graduates in 2024 than in previous years, according to the JLL analysis.

Continue reading to learn which cities are attracting the greatest share of recent college graduates.

Houston is the tenth most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 2.59% share of the total American population and a 2.9% share of 2024 college graduates.

The Seattle/Puget Sound metropolitan area is the ninth most popular region for recent college graduates. The area has a 1.38% share of the total American population and a 2.55% share of 2024 college graduates.

Philadelphia is the eighth most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 2.14% share of the total American population and a 3.19% share of 2024 college graduates.

Atlanta is the seventh most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 2.18% share of the total American population and a 3.77% share of 2024 college graduates.

Atlanta is the sixth most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 2.2% share of the total American population and a 3.83% share of 2024 college graduates.

Chicago is the fifth most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 3.21% share of the total American population and a 5.06% share of 2024 college graduates.

Boston is the fourth most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 1.68% share of the total American population and a 4.99% share of 2024 college graduates.

The San Francisco Bay area is the third most popular region for recent college graduates. The area has a 2.25% share of the total American population and a 5.05% share of 2024 college graduates.

Los Angeles is the second most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 4.39% share of the total American population and a 6.12% share of 2024 college graduates.

New York is the most popular city for recent college graduates. The city has a 6.95% share of the total American population and a 10.79% share of 2024 college graduates.