Surprising Study Finds THE Best College Towns in Iowa, Do You Agree?
When it comes to college towns, there are a ton across the U.S. Some of the greatest schools you could find to attend. The schools are great, but remember, just like in business, it's location, location, and I think a third location! That's important to the overall college experience.
Wallethub's Best College Town and Cities
WalletHub is on the job once again, trying to help your wallet. It's not good to choose a school only to find out that the surrounding area doesn't fit your finances or lifestyle.
How Does WalletHub Come Up With These Numbers?
Wallethub says To determine the best college towns and cities in America, they compared 415 cities of different sizes based on three main factors: Wallet Friendliness, Social Environment, and Academic & Economic Opportunities. They used 31 metrics to evaluate each city, with each metric scored on a scale of 100, where 100 represents the best conditions for students. Some metrics were adjusted for population size to avoid bias toward larger cities.
Cities were ranked based on their overall score, which was calculated by averaging the scores across all metrics. Only cities with at least 7,500 college students were included, and the analysis focused on the city proper, excluding the surrounding metro areas. Cities were grouped into three categories: Large (over 300,000 people), Midsize (125,000 to 300,000), and Small (under 125,000).
What Do Those Factors Mean?
Here are some of the key areas they might have looked at:
- Academic Opportunities: This could involve the quality of schools, availability of higher education institutions (colleges and universities), graduation rates, student-teacher ratios, and academic rankings.
- Social Opportunities: This likely refers to social and cultural aspects of a city, such as access to extracurricular activities, student organizations, diversity, social integration, and general lifestyle options for young people.
- Economic Opportunities: This would include factors like the cost of living, availability of part-time jobs, job prospects after graduation, wages, and the overall economic health of the city.
- Other Factors: These might include crime rates (which affect safety), affordability of housing, healthcare options, transportation infrastructure, and overall quality of life in each city.
By looking at these indicators, WalletHub is trying to assess how favorable each city is for students, considering not only their academic experiences, but also how the city’s environment and economy contribute to their success and well-being.
What Iowa College Town Came Out on Top?
Iowa made several appearances on the WalletHub Best College Towns list, and some were a surprise, but not really when you think about it. Starting at #5 of the Best Iowa College Towns is Cedar Falls. That is where you'll find it.
Their metrics of favorability: The Wallet Friendliness ranking: 34, the Social Environment ranking: 200, and the Academic and Economic Opportunities ranking: 343.
Here is a College Town in Disguise
I was surprised to see this name on the list, but when you think about it, not only does this town offer higher education, but they have several different opportunities when it comes to colleges and universities. That town is Cedar Rapids.
The colleges and universities in and around Cedar Rapids are many:
Cedar Rapids' Wallet Friendliness ranking is: 134, Social Environment ranking: 266, and Academic and Economic Opportunities ranking: 222.
Who is Sliding into Third?
The Iowa City Wallet Friendliness ranking is: 73, Social Environment ranking: 107, and the Academic and Economic Opportunities ranking: 346.
Speaking of college towns, let's heap some praise on the Hawkeye Wave recently chosen as USA Today's 2024 Readers' Choice Best College Sports Tradition! Go Hawks!
There Was A Close Second
Des Moines makes the runner-up spot look sweet. Boasting several colleges, much like Cedar Rapids, that offer diverse opportunities for higher education. Colleges and universities include:
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Drake University
- Grand View University
- Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines' Wallet Friendliness ranking is: 175, Social Environment ranking: 183, and Academic and Economic Opportunities ranking: 205.
One is The Loneliest Number
The Ames Wallet Friendliness ranking is: 71, Social Environment ranking: 67, and Academic and Economic Opportunities ranking: 340.
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