Study names Austin ‘best college town’ in America

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is no stranger to college students, and according to a recent study by WalletHub, it is the best college town in the United States.

WalletHub, a personal finance company, took a look at the top college towns for 2024 and crowned Austin the winner following a comparison of more than 400 U.S. cities.

Austin is well-known for The University of Texas at Austin, Concordia University, St. Edward’s University, Austin Community College and Huston-Tillotson University.

“The city ranks in the top 15 in the U.S. for quality of higher education, and it has a 7.04% average annual job growth rate, one of the highest in the country. Graduates can look forward to good career opportunities after receiving a solid education,” the study said.

According to the study, there are plenty of ways for students to stay entertained in Austin.

“Austin has a ton of nightlife options – the city is known as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ and it’s famous for its Tex-Mex cuisine, plus students can enjoy recreation at Lake Travis or attend the city’s abundant stand-up comedy sets,” the study said.

WalletHub said it based its findings on 31 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students.

The data set for the study ranged from the cost of living and crime rate to the quality of higher education in the city, according to WalletHub.