Best Cities for College Grads 2025

Congratulations, Class of 2025! It’s time to say goodbye to the dining hall and your dorm room and hello to your new office and your first adult apartment. Options abound for new grads, whether you’re looking to move to a small “starter” city to get your bearings or make it big in a world-class metro area. It can feel like a daunting choice, but with a little help from our data, you can set off in the right direction.

We want to help you make the best decision for you — whether you’re looking to be closer to nature, nightlife, new work opportunities, or a mix of all three. We also want to help you understand the financial requirements of different markets, too. New grads have a lot of new financial responsibilities, with rent being one of the biggest. That’s why we created our data-driven 2025 Best Cities for College Grads list. We crunched the numbers on entertainment, opportunity, ease of mobility, and more to come up with the best U.S. cities where a new grad can start their life.

Below, we've highlighted the top 10 cities on our list. You can find the full-ranked list of all 98 cities we looked at here and our methodology here.

For several years now, Salt Lake City has been growing — fast. New development, new opportunities to work in tech, and a burgeoning nightlife and entertainment scene has led to some significant population growth in this sunny city. This upward trajectory, paired with the relative affordability of SLC, has landed it the No. 1 spot on our list of Best Cities for College Grads.

Salt Lake City has long been known for its high percentage of residents in their 20s, which has earned it a top 10 spot on our list for several years now. But as other major cities have started to price out new grads, the Salt Lake’s low percentage of unemployment for those with bachelor’s degrees (just 1.18%) and healthy median income-to-rent ratio (24.7%) has made moving there just that much more enticing — giving it a No. 2 ranking on our list for its Opportunity Score. Aside from its economic benefits, the mountain city also offers an idyllic setting for nature lovers; it’s one of the sunniest cities in the country and the Mighty 5 national parks (Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands) are all a quick drive away.

The median rent of a one-bedroom apartment in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,298.

It’s no surprise that the country’s capital has a lot going for it. While DC’s reputation revolves around its history, museums, and national landmarks, there’s much more to the country’s capital than meets the eye. If you’re interested in meeting other education- and career-oriented new grads, you’ll find them here: 65.9% of DC residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, the second highest on our list. It’s no surprise, given that DC also has one of the highest median incomes for bachelor’s degree holders. For those looking for a little more than rungs to climb on the corporate (or government) ladder, worry not: You’ll also find a “work hard, play hard” mentality here, as DC ranks highly for restaurant density (No. 3) and nightlife (No. 5).

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Washington, DC is $2,215.

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One benefit of a small city like Portland, ME? There’s entertainment just about everywhere you turn. In addition to ranking No. 1 for the highest density of entertainment options on our list, Portland also ranks in the top 5 for each individual category of entertainment: restaurants,active life activities, arts venues, nightlife, and shopping options. In fact, Bon Appétit once called it the “foodiest” small town in America. It’s also a young (and growing) city, with almost 20% of its residents being in their 20s and a year-over-year population growth estimated at 1%. With a decent walk and bike score, you wouldn’t need a car for all of your errands, either. Plus, who can resist a summer spent visiting gorgeous New England beaches?

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Portland, ME is $1,866.

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If a little rain doesn’t scare you away, then you may find yourself planning a move to the largest city in the Pacific Northwest — along with thousands of other recent grads. Seattle, also known as the Emerald City due to its expansive greenery and the coffee capital of the country, draws in college graduates each year with its high earnings potential (ranked No. 4 on our list) and relatively affordable rent prices. That’s right: A bachelor’s degree holder earning the median income can expect to pay just 23.9% of their salary on a one-bedroom apartment. Not to mention, it’s also the most educated city on our list, with 69.7% of the population reporting having a higher education. As far as quality of life goes, Seattle also has a high mobility score (it ranks in the top 10 for its walk and bike scores) and high density of “active life” or outdoor opportunities going for it.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Seattle is $1,900.

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If as a new grad you’d like to prioritize fun, fresh air, and good weather without missing out on job opportunities, then Charleston may be the perfect city for you to start your adult life in. Historic and colorful architecture, picturesque cobblestone streets, and miles of sandy beaches are just a few feathers in Chucktown’s cap. Not to mention, it had the No. 2 highest overall density of entertainment options on our list — offering residents a high number of active life opportunities, cultural enrichment galore, an elevated food and drink scene, and the highest density of shopping options per capita on our list. Housing is a little on the pricey side relative to income, but with a 33.3% median income-to-rent ratio, you still get decent bang for your buck.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Charleston, SC is $1,960.

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Sometimes, a college town can make for a great post-college life. This is true in the case of Madison, which is consistently ranked one of the best cities for new grads in the country. Thanks to its placement in the Silicon Prairie (the Midwestern region known for a high concentration of manufacturing and tech companies), plus the University of Wisconsin nearby offering more academic roles, Mad City boasts a bountiful local job market for its BA holders. This is exemplified in part by its low unemployment percentage for those with at least a bachelor’s degree (0.97%) and relatively high median income for BA holders for the region ($67,145). A fruitful job search isn’t the only thing you can expect in Madison, though. It’s the fastest growing city on our list, and it’s filled with plenty of young people: 17.9% of its population are in their 20s. So, meeting new people your age should be a breeze. Plus, if you aren’t convinced yet, it has one of the biggest craft brewery scenes in the country.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Madison, WIis $1,575.

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People are flocking to Atlanta, and we can see why. The city ranked No. 3 for its population growth, and — along with the rest of the Southeast — its economy has been growing rapidly as well. New grads in Atlanta will benefit from the fact that it’s the most affordable big city in the country, with a high median income for BA holders, a low cost of living, and a rent-to-income ratio of just 24.1%. Plus, it’s a city also known for its music festivals, foodie culture, and nightlife. So, it offers the unique opportunity for new grads to make money and grow their savings accounts, while also still having some money in the bank left over for fun while living in a large city.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta, GA is $1,649.

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You may be scared off by the San Francisco prices, but if you’re in the right industry (tech, finance, and biotech to name a few), it offers a lot of opportunity for new college graduates — and not just because it has the highest median income for BA holders of any city ($106,493). Based on our scores, in addition to the economic factor, SF is also one of the most fun cities to live in. Its robust transit system, walkability, and bike infrastructure gave it the highest mobility score on our list, and it also ranked No. 3 for its high density of arts and entertainment. Plus, on top of the thousands of restaurants with cuisine hailing from all over the world, San Franciscans also have the rare combination of big city living and easy access to incredible nature.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, CA is $2,945.

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Deep-dish pizza, legendary sports fans, and world-famous art and museums are just a few of the things that give Chicago its charm. Chi-town offers all of the culture, nightlife, and opportunity of a world-class city — ranking No. 5 for its Mobility Score, No. 5 for the density of its art and entertainment venues, and No. 8 for its nightlife (and No. 1 in all of these categories in the Midwest). But, unlike other international hubs like New York, Chicago gives you a big-city lifestyle on a midwestern budget. A bachelor’s degree holder earning the median income can expect to pay around 31.5% of their income on a one-bedroom apartment, making it a much more affordable option than many East or West Coast cities like NYC or LA.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago, IL is $1,995.

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If warm, sunny weather is calling your name, we wouldn’t blame you for answering with a move to Tampa. The beautiful beaches, year-round sunshine, and culture of fun in this Southeastern city can make life feel like a vacation. Besides its average of 240-plus sunny days per year and proximity to the ocean (and all the water sports that come with it), Tampa has also been a recent hotspot for economic growth — especially in the tech, real estate, and tourism industries. Not to mention, because of increased development across the Southeast, rents in the area have been dropping — despite the fact that many of the region’s major cities (including Tampa) keep growing in population. BA holders spending the median amount on a one-bedroom apartment can expect to pay less than 30% of their salary on rent, leaving plenty of cash in their pockets to enjoy Southwest Florida.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Tampa, FL is $1,550.

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Below is the full-ranked list of all 98 cities we analyzed.

For the 2025 Best Cities for College Grads report, we analyzed 98 major cities in the U.S. for which all required data was available.

The metrics used to create the “Opportunity Score” were the YoY population change between 2022 to 2023, the size of the young adult population (residents in their 20s), the percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree or above, and the percentage of bachelor degree holders who are unemployed.

The metrics used to create the “Cost of Living Score” were median individual yearly earnings for bachelor’s degree holders, a rent-to-earnings ratio based on the median monthly rent over the last three months, and the cost-of-living index.

The metrics used to create the “Mobility Score” were the Walkscore, Bikescore, and Transitscore.

The metrics used to create the “Entertainment Score” were the densities per capita of: active life, arts and entertainment venues, nightlife, restaurants, and shopping locations.

Population, earnings, and unemployment data came from the U.S. Census Bureau. The cost-of-living index came from C2ER (The Council for Community and Economic Research). Mobility data came from Walkscore. Entertainment data came from Yelp. Rental data came from ApartmentAdvisor.

We averaged the min/max normalized metric values to compute each score.

The Final Score was calculated with a weighted average of the Opportunity Score (35%), the Cost of Living Score (25%), the Mobility Score (15%), and the Entertainment Score (25%). The highest Final Score is considered the “best.”

For more information about this study, please contact pr@apartmentadvisor.com.