The top 15 cities for American college students

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As senior year winds down for high school students around the US, hundreds of thousands of them will learn if they've been accepted to the college, or colleges, of their dreams.

The next important decision will be which acceptance they should choose. A ranking from American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) may help students who are having trouble making that decision, as it ranked the best major metropolitan area for college students.

AIER calculated their list using 11 criteria that included economic vitality, availability of entertainment, and rent. AIER defines major metropolitan cities as having over 2.5 million residents.

Scroll through to find out the 15 best major cities for college students.

15. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida

14. St. Louis, Missouri

13. Atlanta, Georgia