Texas: Home of the Best College Town in the Country

As if we Texans needed something else to brag about. 

While I will be the first to admit that the Lone Star State is far from perfect, I love it here. Sure, it gets hotter than Satan’s breath during the summer, but the great food, nightlife, and friendly people more than make up for it. 

Speaking of great food and nightlife, Austin has plenty of it (even though 6th Street has gotten increasingly violent over the years). But my experience there is that if you’re not looking for trouble, you most likely won’t find any.

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There are plenty of factors to keep in mind for kids heading off to college for the first time, including the quality of nightlife and food. I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to blow off some steam and enjoy myself when not stressing over classes. 

Of course, great academics are of the utmost importance. Austin has three great universities: the University of Texas, Concordia University, and St. Edward’s University. All three are known for academic excellence, which is why Austin is ranked in the Top 15 in the country for the quality of higher education. 

Combine all of that with a 7.04% annual average job growth rate (one of the highest in the United States) and you have the best large college town in the country in 2024, according to a recent study done by WalletHub. 

Top 10 Large College Towns 

1. Austin, TX
2. Orlando, FL
3. Tampa, FL
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. Raleigh, NC
6. Atlanta, GA
7. Miami, FL
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. Columbus, OH
10. Seattle, WA