Austin was named the #1 in a list of best college cities in America for 2023 by WalletHub, championing obvious candidates Scottsdale, Miami, and Raleigh, among others. Austin is historically a college town, thanks to the strong central presence of the University of Texas and thousands of students from St. Edwards, Huston-Tillotson, and Concordia.
Student living expenses can reach a staggering rate of over $30,000 per year, which is why WalletHub specifically focused on finding cities with “a reasonable cost of living, as well as one that provides good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college.” WalletHub compared 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes (Austin is considered a large city now, how ’bout that?), measuring 32 key indicators of academic, social, and economic opportunities for students.
1. Austin
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Gainesville, Florida
5. Tampa, Florida
6. Rexburg, Idaho
7. Provo, Utah
8. Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Miami, Florida
10. Raleigh, North Carolina
Taking the number one spot for the best cities for college students, Austin placed 12th in “Social Environment,” a proud achievement happily supported by downtown student hot spots like Red River District, the Drag, and Dirty 6th. Austin simultaneously scored 204 out of 415 cities for “Wallet Friendliness,” which means college students are likely to need some form of income while studying here. Luckily, the city also ranked 21st in “Academic & Economic Opportunities” so at least you can be sure your education will pay off in time. That rounds out Austin’s overall ranking to 63.27, well above other city competitors.
There are five Texas cities listed in the top 10 Wallet Friendliness category, Edinburg taking the number one spot. College Station ranked 15th for overall best college cities. Unsurprisingly, Florida was the most represented state, with Orlando, Gainesville, Tampa, and Miami all making the top 10 list.
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