College towns aren't just the places that you, you know, go to college. They're also great places to live, work, and go out on the weekend.
Personal-finance resource WalletHub looked at over 300 college towns and cities and ranked the best ones based on 23 key metrics including the quality of higher education, crime rates, and cost of living to find the ones that promise the best academic, social, and economic opportunities for students.
We've got the top 10 here.
Columbia, Missouri
Population: 115,000
Home to: University of Missouri; Stephens College; Columbia College
Columbia has a vibrant blues and rock music scene where bands and solo acts perform at clubs like The Blue Note. The city also has its own Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, because what goes better with seductive blues music than Kansas City-style barbecue?
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Population: 107,000
Home to: Harvard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Lesley University; Cambridge College
Park the car in Harvard Yard and explore the Boston metro-area town of Cambridge. In addition to great shopping, bars, and restaurants, Cambridge has a booming economy, particularly among the life-sciences industry, where many companies and institutes are headquartered.
Austin, Texas
Population: 913,000
Home to: University of Texas at Austin; St. Edward's University; Seminary of the Southwest; Concordia University
When people talk about the day- and nightlife in Austin, they're almost always talking — at least in part — about 6th Street. It's full of music venues, Mexican and other restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and movie theaters. The city is also renowned for its food-truck scene and for keeping Austin weird.
Atlanta, Georgia
Population: 448,000
Home to: Georgia Tech; Georgia State University
Long known as Hotlanta, the ATL, and as a magnet "for the young, single, and college-educated," Atlanta has a lot going on no matter what your interests are. It's a sports-centric city that also has a booming business life and tons of nooks and crannies to find concerts, art exhibits, coffee shops, and bars and restaurants.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Population: 306,000
Home to: University of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Mellon University; Duquesne University; Carlow University; Chatham University
Pittsburgh is a large, southwestern Pennsylvania city with more than a dozen local and national colleges and universities. The city is home to a number of neighborhoods, each with its own flavor, from the green and residential Squirrel Hill to the nightlife and shopping hub Shadyside.
Gainesville, Florida
Population: 128,000
Home to: University of Florida; City College at Gainesville; Santa Fe College
In Gainesville you'll find a historic and lively downtown lined with palm trees. Gainesville is in central Florida so you won't find sand and sun here; it's 90 minutes to the beach without traffic, but if you're not picky about where to find your waters, Newnans Lake is only two miles east of Gainesville and has great places to fish and barbecue.
Provo, Utah
Population: 116,000
Home to: Brigham Young University; Provo College
Set against the beautiful Rocky Mountains, Provo is a predominantly Mormon town that was ranked the second-best place to live in America by Outside magazine. It was also ranked second-best for work-life balance by NerdWallet, and third-best for business and careers by Forbes.
Iowa City, Iowa
Population: 72,000
Home to: University of Iowa; Kirkwood Community College
Iowa City is a UNESCO city of literature, home to the famous Prairie Lights book store where local literary society members e.e. cummings, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost would meet in the 1930s. College students and locals alike are Hawkeye fans, and frequently pack the U of Iowa stadium for football games.
College Station, Texas
Population: 100,000
Home to: Texas A&M University
In 2012, College Station was a finalist for friendliest small town. Safe and affordable, it has low property-tax rates and one of the lowest crime rates in Texas. It's a colorful place to be, as evidenced by local watering hole Dixie Chicken, which claims to serve the most beer per square foot of any bar in the US.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Population: 117,000
Home to: University of Michigan; Concordia University at Ann Arbor; Cleary University
Ann Arbor's economy is largely driven by the University of Michigan, which employs over 45,000 people. The town is also well-known for its art scene, and serves as home to a number of independent book stores, galleries, museums, and art fairs. Keep an eye for the many tiny "fairy doors" scattered around town, where people leave coins and knick-knacks for their fantasy friends.
