The Brief
- Madison, Wisconsin, ranked No. 17 among America’s top college towns for 2027 in WalletHub’s study of 415 cities across 31 metrics, including affordability, academic quality and career opportunities.
- Austin, Texas, placed first, followed by Ann Arbor, Michigan, Charlottesville, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, rounding out the top five.
- The rankings considered factors such as cost of living, university quality, employment prospects, crime rates and recreational activities to help students find cities that balance academic success with affordability and quality of life.
With college costs continuing to climb, new data is highlighting the U.S. cities that offer students the strongest combination of affordability, academic excellence, career opportunities and a vibrant social scene.
To help students make informed decisions, WalletHub compared more than 400 U.S. cities using 31 key indicators. The study assessed three main categories: wallet friendliness, social environment, and academic and economic opportunities. Factors included the cost of living, crime rates, higher education quality, employment prospects and recreational activities.
Madison ranked a top college town of 2027
Big picture view:
Madison, home of the University of Wisconsin, claimed the No. 17 spot as the top college town, thanks to a variety of factors, most notably the social environment of the campus and surrounding city.
According to WalletHub, Madison ranked 51st for social environment in the country which looks at Madison’s activities and attractions, the presence of Division 1 sports teams, nightlife options, and the number of young people and students in the area.…