Copyright AL.com
While many incoming college freshmen may choose their home for the next four years based on a sports team, academic programs, or where their parents went, a recent ranking suggests that several other key factors could lead to a happier life. Data site WalletHub recently published its list of the Best College Towns in America, and only two Alabama cities ranked in the top 100. To compile its ranking, the site compared over 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes across three key dimensions: 1) Wallet Friendliness, 2) Social Environment, and 3) Academic & Economic Opportunities. Researchers evaluated those dimensions using 31 “key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students,” such as housing costs, crime rate, and earning potential for college graduates. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for college students. WalletHub then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores for the ranking. Using these metrics, Huntsville (52nd place) was ranked as the best college town in Alabama, followed by Auburn (99), and much further down the list, Mobile (231). Birmingham (232), Tuscaloosa (322), and Montgomery (363) bring up the bottom of the pack in the state’s rankings. Mobile received the highest sub ranking of any city across the three categories with a Wallet Friendliness ranking of 59. Montgomery received the lowest sub ranking with an Academic & Economic Opportunities rank of 404. Stories by Heather Gann Alabama police investigate fatal shooting of 28-year-old woman Former Auburn landscaper fired after posting ‘one fascist down’ after Charlie Kirk’s murder sues university 74-year-old Alabama man killed when tractor hits powerline, knocks down utility pole Beloved Michigan diner featured in 1970s commercials getting new shot at life in Alabama What sets Huntsville apart? While Alabama’s best college town (per WalletHub) didn’t receive the highest individual sub ranking, it performed the best overall across all three categories. The Rocket City earned 142nd place in Wallet Friendliness, 117th in Social Environment, and 198th in Academic & Economic Opportunities. “Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said in a recent release. “Towns with a low cost of living, plenty of activities and large student populations can make your college experience a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”
