Special Report
30 Best College Towns in America
September 4, 2019 4:15 pm
Last Updated: January 15, 2020 9:57 am
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
15. Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
> Pop. enrolled in college: 26.8% (32,743)
> No. of colleges and universities in the area: 3
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 41.3%
> Median age: 27.2
> 2018 unemployment: N/A
> Bars and restaurants: 273 per 100,000 people
Athens, Georgia, is home to the largest university in the state, the University of Georgia. Nearly 33,000 city residents, or over one-quarter of the total population, are enrolled in college or graduate school.
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14. Tallahassee, Florida
> Pop. enrolled in college: 28.0% (52,729)
> No. of colleges and universities in the area: 9
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 48.0%
> Median age: 26.6
> 2018 unemployment: 3.6%
> Bars and restaurants: 299 per 100,000 people
Florida’s capital city is also one of only two cities in the state to rank among America’s best college towns. The city is home to nine postsecondary education institutions, including Florida A&M, Tallahassee Community College, and Florida State University, one of the largest universities in the country.
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13. Boulder, Colorado
> Pop. enrolled in college: 28.6% (30,411)
> No. of colleges and universities in the area: 6
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 73.8%
> Median age: 28.6
> 2018 unemployment: 2.7%
> Bars and restaurants: 342 per 100,000 people
Boulder, Colorado, is home to the University of Colorado — Boulder, a public research institution and one of the largest universities in the United States. The university helps support the city’s strong job market. Just 2.7% of Boulder’s workforce was unemployed in 2018, a far smaller share than the 3.9% national unemployment rate.
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12. Greenville, North Carolina
> Pop. enrolled in college: 28.6% (25,861)
> No. of colleges and universities in the area: 4
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.3%
> Median age: 26.8
> 2018 unemployment: 4.5%
> Bars and restaurants: 281 per 100,000 people
Nearly 29% of the 90,300 people living in Greenville, North Carolina, are enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program. The small city boasts four higher education institutions, including East Carolina University and Pitt Community College.
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11. Berkeley, California
> Pop. enrolled in college: 29.0% (34,798)
> No. of colleges and universities in the area: 12
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 72.3%
> Median age: 31.0
> 2018 unemployment: 2.8%
> Bars and restaurants: 362 per 100,000 people
Nearly 35,000 of Berkeley, California’s 120,200 residents are enrolled in college or graduate degree programs. The city is home to a dozen higher education institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley — the oldest and most selective school in the UC system.
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