Post by valpo04 on Sept 9, 2010 8:43:30 GMT -5
The organization identified 222 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 15,000 students, based on U.S. Census Bureau standards, and then chose the top 75. It then ranked cities in four population categories, from the largest metro areas to small college towns. The rankings are based on 12 criteria in three general categories: academic environment (with an eye toward factors such as student diversity and degree attainment), quality of life (arts and leisure, cost of living, etc.) and professional opportunity (such measures as earning potential, unemployment rate, entrepreneurial activity).
Top 10 major metros areas
(Populations over 2.5 million)
1. San Francisco
2. New York
3. Washington
4. Boston
5. Seattle
6. Baltimore
7. Los Angeles
8. San Diego
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul
10. Philadelphia
Top 10 midsize metros
(Population 1 million to 2.5 million)
1. San Jose
2. Austin
3. Raleigh, N.C.
4. Hartford, Conn.
5. Portland, Ore.
6. Pittsburgh
7. Salt Lake City
8. Rochester. N.Y.
9. Buffalo
10. Nashville
Top 10 small cities
(250,000 to 1 million)
1. Boulder, Colo.
2. Ann Arbor, Mich.
3. Bridgeport, Conn.
4. Trenton-Ewing, N.J.
5. Gainesville, Fla.
6. Madison, Wis.
7. Durham, N.C.
8. Santa Cruz, Calif.
9. Honolulu
10. Fort Collins, Colo.
Top 10 college towns
(under 250,000)
1. Ithaca, N.Y.
2. State College, Pa.
3. Iowa City
4. Ames, Iowa
5. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
6. Charlottesville, Va.
7. Corvallis, Ore.
8. Bloomington, Ind.
9. Lawrence, Kan.
10. Logan, Utah
(Populations over 2.5 million)
1. San Francisco
2. New York
3. Washington
4. Boston
5. Seattle
6. Baltimore
7. Los Angeles
8. San Diego
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul
10. Philadelphia
Top 10 midsize metros
(Population 1 million to 2.5 million)
1. San Jose
2. Austin
3. Raleigh, N.C.
4. Hartford, Conn.
5. Portland, Ore.
6. Pittsburgh
7. Salt Lake City
8. Rochester. N.Y.
9. Buffalo
10. Nashville
Top 10 small cities
(250,000 to 1 million)
1. Boulder, Colo.
2. Ann Arbor, Mich.
3. Bridgeport, Conn.
4. Trenton-Ewing, N.J.
5. Gainesville, Fla.
6. Madison, Wis.
7. Durham, N.C.
8. Santa Cruz, Calif.
9. Honolulu
10. Fort Collins, Colo.
Top 10 college towns
(under 250,000)
1. Ithaca, N.Y.
2. State College, Pa.
3. Iowa City
4. Ames, Iowa
5. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
6. Charlottesville, Va.
7. Corvallis, Ore.
8. Bloomington, Ind.
9. Lawrence, Kan.
10. Logan, Utah
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-08-collegedestinationsONLINE_ST_N.htm
