Best College Cities In America 2020: 10 In New York Make The List

With the college application process now in full swing, there’s good news for high school seniors planning to attend school in New York. The personal finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2020’s Best College Towns & Cities In America.

There were 415 cities in the United States that were ranked by WalletHub.

The following cities in New York made the list:

Buffalo: 58
Wallet Friendliness: 40
Social Environment: 55
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 297

Rochester: 98
Wallet Friendliness: 175
Social Environment: 57
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 290

Ithaca: 101
Wallet Friendliness: 294
Social Environment: 36
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 219

New York: 134
Wallet Friendliness: 413
Social Environment: 6
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 143

Syracuse: 184
Wallet Friendliness: 193
Social Environment: 150
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 279

Albany: 204
Wallet Friendliness: 137
Social Environment: 138
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 334

Troy: 234
Wallet Friendliness: 248
Social Environment: 226
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 233

Stony Brook: 361
Wallet Friendliness: 374
Social Environment: 128
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 239

Yonkers: 403
Wallet Friendliness: 393
Social Environment: 352
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 92

New Rochelle: 411
Wallet Friendliness: 395
Social Environment: 264
Academic & Economic Opportunities: 237

Austin, Texas, was ranked as the best college city in America, according to the editors at WalletHub, followed by Orlando, Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Stony Brook on Long Island was ranked as having the most students per capita and the highest share of part-time jobs available.

The ranking compared more than 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes on 31 relevant metrics of academic, social and economic opportunities for students.

Each relevant metric was then listed with its corresponding weight, and the cities were graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best possible college city.

“One of the most important steps in the process (college application) is the campus visit, which often includes a tour of the city or town that will serve as the student’s home for the next several years,” authors of the WalletHub study wrote. “Experts have argued that a school’s geographical location is just as important as a strong curriculum and supportive school environment to a student’s academic success.”

Here are WalletHub’s 15 best college cities in America:

1. Austin, Texas: 66.49
2. Orlando, Florida: 65.67
3. Scottsdale, Arizona: 63.13
4. Tampa, Florida: 63.02
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan: 62.64
6. Seattle, Washington: 60.55
7. San Diego, California: 60.2
8. Las Vegas, Nevada: 60.03
9. Salt Lake City, Utah: 59.93
10. Provo, Utah: 59.75
11. Reno, Nevada: 59.5
12. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 59.45
13. Raleigh, North Carolina: 59.15
14. Minneapolis, Minnesota: 59.05
15. Gainesville, Florida: 58.94

The full report is available on WalletHub.