Here’s what makes a No. 1 college town: high job growth and affordable pizza. That’s why Austin, Texas is rated the best college town in America, according to a new WalletHub ranking.
Austin, Texas, which is home to schools like the University of Texas at Austin, Concordia University and St. Edward’s University, was crowned the top college town of 2025 due to its exceptional economic environment and having the fifth-best annual job growth rate, making it easy for student to find work while in school or immediately after graduating.
Additionally, there are a variety of attractions, sports clubs and shopping centers available to students. At the institutional level, prospective students also have access to pursue or watch Division I basketball, baseball, soccer and football, among other sports.
Finally, the city tanks 17th in the nation for the quality of higher education among the more than 400 cities observed in the study.
Now, let’s take a look at WalletHub’s ranking of the top 10 college towns of 2025.
- Austin, TX
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Orlando, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Raleigh, NC
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Charlottesville, VA
- Tempe, AZ
- Gainesville, FL
- Atlanta, GA
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Cost of living for young people
Best
- Brownsville, TX
- Springfield, MO
- Lansing, MI
- Jackson, MS
- Cleveland, OH
Worst
Tied for last:
- Santa Clara, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- Sunnyvale, CA
- Stanford, CA
Click here to access WalletHub’s full list of the best college towns in 2025.
