College towns have made a name for themselves thanks to the local colleges and universities and their young students populating the area. Not everything in a college town is catered toward undergraduates. In fact, these destinations have plenty of amenities, attractions, restaurants, and bars that will keep everyone entertained. Some of these places have even become top places to live.
If you're thinking about moving to one of these spots, WalletHub rounded up the best college towns and cities in America. To determine their rankings, researchers "compared more than 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes based on 32 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students. Our data set ranges from the cost of living to the quality of higher education to the crime rate."
According to the website, Florida is home to four of the Top 10 college towns! The highest-ranking one is Orlando (No. 3) followed by Gainesville (No.4) and Tampa (No. 5). Miami came in the No. 9 spot.
Coral Gables in particular got a kudos for having one of the lowest rates of brain drain, meaning that college-educated people tend to stay in the area.
Here are the Top 10 college towns and cities, according to the study:
- Austin, Texas
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Orlando, Florida
- Gainesville, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Rexburg, Idaho
- Provo, Utah
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Miami, Florida
- Raleigh, North Carolina