
- A recent report from SmartAsset reveals the 25 best American cities for recent college graduates to live.
- These cities are affordable, have good job opportunities, and are fun for new college grads.
- Three Ohio cities made the list, including Columbus and Cincinnati in the top two spots.
Graduation is coming up and many college students may find themselves asking, Where do I go from here?
SmartAsset recently released a list of the best cities for new college grads – places with ample jobs for college-educated people, affordable housing, and a fun atmosphere.
To determine the ranking, SmartAsset looked at 10 metrics including the number of Indeed job listings, cost of living in the city, and concentration of entertainment and dining establishments.
Ohio may be the best state for recent college grads; three Ohio cities make the top 25, including the top two spots. The Midwest is responsible for six of the 10 best cities for college grads. Meanwhile, coastal cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami didn’t make the top 25.
Take a look at the 25 best cities for new college graduates, along with each city’s unemployment rate for people with bachelor’s degrees, median rent, and the percentage of the city’s population that is in their 20s.
25. Atlanta, Georgia
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.6%
Median rent: $US904
Population aged 20-29: 20.1%
24. Seattle, Washington
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.8%
Median rent: $US1,360
Population aged 20-29: 21.3%
23. Boston, Massachusetts
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.3%
Median rent: $US1,369
Population aged 20-29: 24.1%
22. Richmond, Virginia
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.7%
Median rent: $US783
Population aged 20-29: 20.8%
21. Rochester, New York
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.4%
Median rent: $US673
Population aged 20-29: 20.9%
20. Arlington, Virginia
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.5%
Median rent: $US1,801
Population aged 20-29: 19.9%
19. San Francisco, California
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.3%
Median rent: $US1,731
Population aged 20-29: 17.6%
18. Madison, Wisconsin
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.5%
Median rent: $US926
Population aged 20-29: 26.4%
17. Lexington, Kentucky
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:4.4%
Median rent: $US689
Population aged 20-29: 18.5%
16. Buffalo, New York
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.4%
Median rent: $US600
Population aged 20-29: 19.2%
15. Orlando, Florida
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.7%
Median rent: $US940
Population aged 20-29: 20.2%
14. Cleveland, Ohio
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.0%
Median rent: $US550
Population aged 20-29: 16.8%
13. Des Moines, Iowa
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.1%
Median rent: $US690
Population aged 20-29: 16.3%
12. Lincoln, Nebraska
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.8%
Median rent: $US669
Population aged 20-29: 19.3%
11. Austin, Texas
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.7%
Median rent: $US1,042
Population aged 20-29: 19.7%
10. Indianapolis, Indiana
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.5%
Median rent: $US680
Population aged 20-29: 16.4%
9. St. Louis, Missouri
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.2%
Median rent: $US617
Population aged 20-29: 17.9%
8. Louisville, Kentucky
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.4%
Median rent: $US638
Population aged 20-29: 14.5%
7. Omaha, Nebraska
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.4%
Median rent: $US712
Population aged 20-29: 15.4%
6. San Antonio, Texas
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.4%
Median rent: $US774
Population aged 20-29: 16.4%
5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.3%
Median rent: $US684
Population aged 20-29: 18.2%
4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.4%
Median rent: $US750
Population aged 20-29: 23.5%
3. Nashville, Tennessee
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:2.3%
Median rent: $US841
Population aged 20-29: 18.1%
2. Cincinnati, Ohio
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:3.0%
Median rent: $US568
Population aged 20-29: 19.6%
1. Columbus, Ohio
Unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders:1.5%
Median rent: $US724
Population aged 20-29: 19.7%
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