Best and worst college towns in 2025, according to WalletHub ranking
In an aerial view, the downtown skyline is seen on April 11, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Finding the right college is important, not just to pursue a higher education, but to become a well-rounded adult.
WalletHub ranked the best college towns in the United States for 2025 to help prospective students narrow down their school choices.
How were the towns ranked?
More than 400 U.S. cities were compared based on three key factors, with 31 varying sub-factors.
WalletHub ranked the best college towns based on wallet friendliness, social environment, and academic and economic opportunities.
Map: Top 30 towns in the US
To see the entire list of 415 cities and their rank, click here.
Top 5 best college towns
The top five best college towns in America, according to WalletHub, were:
- Austin, Texas
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Orlando, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Raleigh, North Carolina
Austin, Texas, held the No. 1 spot for the best college town in the U.S. based on WalletHub’s requirements.
Austin is home to universities such as the University of Texas, Austin, Concordia University and St. Edward’s University.
It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates and has a bunch of attractions like shopping centers and sports clubs for students to cultivate their social development.
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, the average cost of in-state tuition is about $33,556, according to WalletHub, which is much lower than some of the more expensive college towns that can cost nearly $90,000 in comparison.
Ann Arbor is also ranked 11th in the nation for education quality and is home to the University of Michigan.
Orlando, Florida, ranked No. 3 on WalletHub’s list, and despite being a big city, it has the 19th-cheapest tuition for in-state students.
Orlando also has lots of recreational and educational enrichment for students and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.