Best big college towns in America
There’s no denying that campus life plays a significant part in the college experience — as it’s often the setting for the creation of lifelong memories — whether it be a school’s lush lawns, towering brick buildings, or monuments. But what many forget when choosing a home for the next four years is that the area surrounding the school grounds matters as well; it may be the place where friends go out to celebrate each other’s 21st birthdays or the surrounding town that offers escape when campus feels too claustrophobic.
Schools that boast a great campus environment and also happen to sit in an exceptional college town truly have the best of both worlds. Stacker enlisted the help of WalletHub to identify where these elusive schools exist. They examined 415 cities that are home to colleges and evaluated each area’s “wallet friendliness” (cost of living), “social environment” (demographics, entertainment options), and “academic and economic opportunities” (education quality, job opportunities, earning potential). Based on these factors, they gave each town an overall score out of 100, and ranked them from #50 all the way down to the crowning champion at the #1 spot. For this story, we focused exclusively on large cities with populations of more than 300,000.
From the Golden State to the Eastern seaboard, see if your college town is one of America’s best this year.
#50. Corpus Christi, TX
Total score: 44.25
Wallet-friendliness rank: #72
Social environment rank: #294
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #286
Sample universities: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Del Mar College; Southern Careers Institute
#49. Arlington, TX
Total score: 44.32
Wallet-friendliness rank: #148
Social environment rank: #245
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #293
Sample universities: The University of Texas at Arlington; Arlington Baptist University
#48. Honolulu, HI
Total score: 44.65
Wallet-friendliness rank: #372
Social environment rank: #10
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #302
Sample universities: The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Hawaiʻi Pacific University; Chaminade University of Honolulu
#47. El Paso, TX
Total score: 44.72
Wallet-friendliness rank: #20
Social environment rank: #161
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #387
Sample universities: The University of Texas at El Paso; Southwest University at El Paso; El Paso Community College
#46. Milwaukee, WI
Total score: 45.20
Wallet-friendliness rank: #206
Social environment rank: #110
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #315
Sample universities: Marquette University; The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
#45. Fort Worth, TX
Total score: 45.31
Wallet-friendliness rank: #231
Social environment rank: #156
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #232
Sample universities: Texas Christian University; Texas Wesleyan University; Tarrant County College
#44. Anaheim, CA
Total score: 45.48
Wallet-friendliness rank: #344
Social environment rank: #98
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #98
Sample universities: Anaheim University; Southern California Institute of Technology
#43. Albuquerque, NM
Total score: 45.57
Wallet-friendliness rank: #126
Social environment rank: #130
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #326
Sample universities: The University of New Mexico; Central New Mexico Community College; Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
#42. Oklahoma City, OK
Total score: 45.59
Wallet-friendliness rank: #136
Social environment rank: #190
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #280
Sample universities: Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City University; Oklahoma City Community College
#41. San Jose, CA
Total score: 45.70
Wallet-friendliness rank: #386
Social environment rank: #43
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #87
Sample universities: San José State University; San Jose City College; Evergreen Valley College
#40. Boston, MA
Total score: 46.05
Wallet-friendliness rank: #395
Social environment rank: #19
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #126
Sample universities: Northeastern University; Boston University; Berklee College of Music; Emerson College
#39. Baltimore, MD
Total score: 46.10
Wallet-friendliness rank: #273
Social environment rank: #123
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #194
Sample universities: Johns Hopkins University; The University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Loyola University Maryland
#38. Aurora, CO
Total score: 46.12
Wallet-friendliness rank: #267
Social environment rank: #341
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #45
Sample universities: The Community College of Aurora; The University of Colorado School of Medicine
#37. New Orleans, LA
Total score: 46.36
Wallet-friendliness rank: #252
Social environment rank: #26
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #347
Sample universities: Tulane University; Loyola University New Orleans; The University of New Orleans
#36. Lexington-Fayette, KY
Total score: 46.41
Wallet-friendliness rank: #156
Social environment rank: #149
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #256
Sample universities: The University of Kentucky; Transylvania University; Bluegrass Community and Technical College
#35. Washington, D.C.
Total score: 46.48
Wallet-friendliness rank: #399
Social environment rank: #17
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #105
Sample universities: Georgetown University; The George Washington University; The American University
#34. Raleigh, NC
Total score: 46.67
Wallet-friendliness rank: #226
Social environment rank: #115
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #245
Sample universities: North Carolina State University; William Peace University; Meredith College
#33. Colorado Springs, CO
Total score: 47.20
Wallet-friendliness rank: #140
Social environment rank: #105
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #281
Sample universities: United States Air Force Academy; Colorado College; University of Colorado Colorado Springs
#32. Philadelphia, PA
Total score: 47.34
Wallet-friendliness rank: #329
Social environment rank: #29
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #210
Sample universities: University of Pennsylvania; Temple University; Drexel University
#31. Houston, TX
Total score: 47.41
Wallet-friendliness rank: #67
Social environment rank: #50
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #355
Sample universities: Rice University; The University of Houston; Texas Southern University
#30. Phoenix, AZ
Total score: 47.47
Wallet-friendliness rank: #145
Social environment rank: #94
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #275
Sample universities: Grand Canyon University; Phoenix College; South Mountain Community College
#29. New York, NY
Total score: 47.48
Wallet-friendliness rank: #408
Social environment rank: #4
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #123
Sample universities: New York University; Columbia University; Fordham University; CUNY; St. John's University
#28. Indianapolis, IN
Total score: 47.51
Wallet-friendliness rank: #182
Social environment rank: #113
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #231
Sample universities: Butler University; Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis; The University of Indianapolis
#27. Nashville, TN
Total score: 47.79
Wallet-friendliness rank: #264
Social environment rank: #77
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #174
Sample universities: Vanderbilt University; Belmont University; Lipscomb University
#26. Louisville, KY
Total score: 48.02
Wallet-friendliness rank: #146
Social environment rank: #106
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #238
Sample universities: University of Louisville; Bellarmine University; Spalding University
#25. Omaha, NE
Total score: 48.82
Wallet-friendliness rank: #124
Social environment rank: #100
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #222
Sample universities: Creighton University; The University of Nebraska Omaha; College of Saint Mary
#24. Charlotte, NC
Total score: 48.91
Wallet-friendliness rank: #186
Social environment rank: #56
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #229
Sample universities: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Queens University of Charlotte; Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
#23. Sacramento, CA
Total score: 48.95
Wallet-friendliness rank: #230
Social environment rank: #22
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #279
Sample universities: California State University, Sacramento; Sacramento City College; American River College
#22. Mesa, AZ
Total score: 49.04
Wallet-friendliness rank: #169
Social environment rank: #229
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #67
Sample universities: Mesa Community College; Arizona State University Polytechnic
#21. Columbus, OH
Total score: 49.35
Wallet-friendliness rank: #113
Social environment rank: #65
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #237
Sample universities: The Ohio State University; Columbus State Community College; Columbus College of Art & Design
#20. Kansas City, MO
Total score: 49.62
Wallet-friendliness rank: #154
Social environment rank: #191
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #112
Sample universities: University of Missouri - Kansas City; Rockhurst University; The Kansas City Art Institute
#19. Minneapolis, MN
Total score: 49.81
Wallet-friendliness rank: #242
Social environment rank: #38
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #187
Sample universities: The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Augsburg University
#18. Long Beach, CA
Total score: 49.92
Wallet-friendliness rank: #292
Social environment rank: #73
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #83
Sample universities: California State University, Long Beach; Long Beach City College; Pacific Coast University
#17. Dallas, TX
Total score: 50.27
Wallet-friendliness rank: #233
Social environment rank: #52
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #143
Sample universities: Southern Methodist University; The University of North Texas at Dallas; Dallas Baptist University
#16. San Antonio, TX
Total score: 50.59
Wallet-friendliness rank: #53
Social environment rank: #55
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #243
Sample universities: The University of Texas at San Antonio; The University of the Incarnate Word; Trinity University
#15. Pittsburgh, PA
Total score: 50.74
Wallet-friendliness rank: #177
Social environment rank: #20
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #264
Sample universities: Carnegie Mellon University; The University of Pittsburgh; Duquesne University
#14. Denver, CO
Total score: 51.06
Wallet-friendliness rank: #319
Social environment rank: #13
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #145
Sample universities: The University of Denver; The University of Colorado Denver; Regis University
#13. Tucson, AZ
Total score: 51.50
Wallet-friendliness rank: #77
Social environment rank: #51
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #198
Sample universities: The University of Arizona; Pima Community College; Southwest University of Visual Arts
#12. St. Louis, MO
Total score: 51.60
Wallet-friendliness rank: #229
Social environment rank: #31
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #144
Sample universities: Washington University in St. Louis; Saint Louis University; St. Louis Community College
#11. San Francisco, CA
Total score: 51.70
Wallet-friendliness rank: #393
Social environment rank: #2
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #68
Sample universities: San Francisco State University; The University of California, San Francisco; The University of San Francisco
#10. Chicago, IL
Total score: 51.96
Wallet-friendliness rank: #302
Social environment rank: #7
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #200
Sample universities: The University of Chicago; Loyola University Chicago; Northwestern University
#9. Miami, FL
Total score: 52.49
Wallet-friendliness rank: #163
Social environment rank: #16
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #236
Sample universities: The University of Miami; Florida International University; Miami Dade College
#8. Atlanta, GA
Total score: 52.71
Wallet-friendliness rank: #266
Social environment rank: #8
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #201
Sample universities: Emory University; The Georgia Institute of Technology; Spelman College
#7. Los Angeles, CA
Total score: 52.98
Wallet-friendliness rank: #345
Social environment rank: #12
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #69
Sample universities: The University of California, Los Angeles; The University of Southern California; Occidental College
#6. Portland, OR
Total score: 53.09
Wallet-friendliness rank: #315
Social environment rank: #9
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #127
Sample universities: Reed College; Portland State University; Concordia University-Portland
#5. Seattle, WA
Total score: 53.20
Wallet-friendliness rank: #376
Social environment rank: #6
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #55
Sample universities: The University of Washington; Seattle University; Seattle Central College
#4. San Diego, CA
Total score: 54.55
Wallet-friendliness rank: #341
Social environment rank: #1
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #103
Sample universities: The University of California, San Diego; San Diego State University; The University of San Diego
#3. Tampa, FL
Total score: 54.70
Wallet-friendliness rank: #137
Social environment rank: #18
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #163
Sample universities: The University of South Florida; The University of Tampa; Hillsborough Community College
#2. Las Vegas, NV
Total score: 55.81
Wallet-friendliness rank: #100
Social environment rank: #3
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #235
Sample universities: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas; The College of Southern Nevada
#1. Austin, TX
Total score: 55.85
Wallet-friendliness rank: #190
Social environment rank: #11
Academic & economic opportunities rank: #125
Sample universities: The University of Texas at Austin; St. Edward's University; Huston–Tillotson University
