These North Carolina cities rank among the top US college towns. Here’s why
Two of the nation’s best college towns are right here in North Carolina, a new report finds.
Raleigh ranks No. 3 among large cities and Chapel Hill is No. 8 among small cities on a list of places offering the most student-friendly atmospheres in the United States, according to results published Tuesday, Nov. 30.
To make the list, the personal finance website WalletHub said, it used data from the U.S. government and other sources to study cities that at least 7,500 college students call home. Each of the 415 qualifying cities were evaluated in three categories: affordability, social activities and education and job opportunities.
Raleigh received a place near the top of the rankings after it got a nod for its social environment, a measure of population trends, crime rates and vaccination metrics. The category also considered the presence of Division I sports teams and places to shop, drink and eat, results show.
Chapel Hill received its highest score in the education and job category, which weighed unemployment rates, the quality of academics and other factors.
Both Raleigh and Chapel Hill were less successful when it came to cost-effectiveness, each ranking just above average for affordability.
The two Triangle cities are home to several educational institutions, including Meredith College, N.C. State University, Shaw University, St. Augustine’s University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and William Peace University. Among cities of all sizes, Raleigh ranked No. 14 and Chapel Hill No. 13 nationwide.
Other North Carolina cities that made the list included those that were home to or near universities or community colleges. They include: Wilmington, No. 35; Cary, No. 41; Charlotte, No. 63; Durham, No. 69; Asheville, No. 91; Boone, No. 166; Greenville, No. 189; Greensboro,No. 261; Winston-Salem, No. 262; High Point, No. 343; and Fayetteville, No. 352.
Earlier this year, Durham was recognized as one of the best places in the country for recent college graduates to launch their careers. To come up with those findings, WalletHub said, it studied quality of life and professional trends in 182 cities.
But no North Carolina cities made it into the top 10 on a similar ranking from SmartAsset. That list evaluated entertainment, costs and jobs, McClatchy News reported.
Overall, the top-ranking city in the nation was Austin, Texas. Landing at the bottom of the list was the Los Angeles-area town of Compton, California, results show.
