AUSTIN, Texas — For the third year in a row, Austin has been ranked the No. 1 college city in the country.
In WalletHub's latest list of "Best College Towns in America," Austin beat out 414 other schools for the top spot.
WalletHub ranks schools based on a culmination of three metrics: wallet friendliness, social environment and academic and economic opportunities. Austin received a total score 63.24, nudging out Ann Arbor, Mich. – home of the University of Michigan Wolverines – which came in second for the second year in a row with a total score of 62.39.
Below is a list of the top 10 college towns and cities based on total score:
- Austin, Texas – 63.24
- Ann Arbor, Mich. – 62.39
- Orlando, Fla. – 61.81
- Tampa, Fla. – 60.99
- Scottsdale, Ariz. – 60.93
- Las Vegas – 60.92
- Charlottesville, Va. – 58.98
- Gainesville, Fla. – 58.84
- Raleigh, N.C. – 58.46
- Atlanta – 58.05
Here's what WalletHub had to say about the Capital City:
"Austin, TX holds the crown as the top college town of 2023, and it’s known for schools like the University of Texas at Austin, Concordia University and St. Edward’s University. The city ranks in the top 15 in the U.S. for quality of higher education, and it has a 7.04% average annual job growth rate, one of the highest in the country. Graduates can look forward to good career opportunities after receiving a solid education.
Plus, when students in Austin aren’t busy studying or tailgating for games at Memorial Stadium, they’ll find plenty of ways to stay entertained. Austin has a ton of nightlife options – the city is known as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ and it’s famous for its Tex-Mex cuisine, plus students can enjoy recreation at Lake Travis or attend the city’s abundant stand-up comedy sets."
Though the home of the University of Texas Longhorns came out on top of the overall list, Austin didn't score the No. 1 designation for the individual metrics. The city ranked No. 203 for wallet friendliness, No. 14 for social environment and No. 20 for academic and economic opportunities.
The No. 1 cities for each of those metrics were Edinburg, Texas; Honolulu; and Coral Gables, Fla., respectively.
To learn more, check out WalletHub's full report.