5 College Towns To Live In After Graduation
Think college towns are just for students? Think again. These small cities and towns are amazing places to live at any stage of life.
Your diploma has been framed, the cap and gown are in storage and you’ve been to more going-away parties than you can count. Now, where to focus that job hunt and narrow down where to live after graduation? If your destination wish list includes lots of culture, a smaller-town feel and football Saturdays (you’re never too old to tailgate), it may be time to head back to school — only without all the classes and homework. Here are five college towns that are great places to live after graduation.
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1. Madison, WI
If the Midwest is calling your name, this authentic college town, home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an easy answer. Frequently recognized on award lists — one of the best places to live in the U.S. in 2024, one of the best cities in the Midwest, best city for biking, happiest city in the world, greenest city, fittest city, etc. — the state capital has the feel of a smaller town (population 267,446) but offers big-city amenities and culture. With an array of museums, the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the nation and plenty of food fests — like the world’s biggest Brat Fest — it’s also just 77 miles from Milwaukee and 122 miles from Chicago.
Madison is also an excellent place for twenty-somethings (more than half the population is younger than 30) and those who seek an active lifestyle (you’ll find five lakes, more than 260 parks and bike paths everywhere you look).
Ready to move? The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,627, and the median home value in Madison is $342,009. The largest job sectors include health care, life sciences, agriculture, advanced manufacturing and IT, and, of course, public employment in education. So is that “On, Wisconsin” we hear you humming?
2. Corvallis, OR
So your ultimate town wish list includes charming homes, proximity to outdoor adventures, a vibrant college campus and breweries, wineries and independent restaurants? It’s a tall order, but Corvallis, home to Oregon State University, will check all your boxes.
The pretty, stately campus, situated near downtown, is one of just a few universities with a National Register of Historic Places status and hosts many cultural events (and Pac-12 athletics) open to the public throughout the year.
With a population of 61,978 and an average Benton County home price of $534,037, it’s also a place where creative jobs are common — nearly half of the workforce includes careers in science and technology, design and architecture, arts, entertainment and media, healthcare, law, management and education.
Weekend warriors will love its location in the Willamette Valley (just 90 minutes from Portland), where skiing and the Oregon coast are both easy drives from the city. Crowd-drawing events, including the da Vinci Days Festival and the Corvallis Fall Festival, make staying put fun, too.
3. Ames, IA
“Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.”
Longtime residents of Ames may tire of the famous “Field of Dreams” movie line, but the quote isn’t far off. Boasting Iowa State University, 36 parks, a fun downtown scene, miles and miles of bike trails, several golf courses and more, this college town is a solid place to put down roots.
And it’s not just us saying it: Ames, with a population of 67,419 (including students), has racked up a long list of accolades, including being an excellent place for entrepreneurs and remote workers.
If you plan to have kids, Ames has one of the nation’s top school systems. If you crave culture, the university brings Broadway shows, Pulitzer Prize-winning speakers and famous artists from across the world. If you love athletics, the Big 12 ISU Cyclones will have you cheering.
And it’s affordable, too: The median home value is $309,966, and the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $750. Top jobs are in education, government and professional, scientific and technical services.
Heaven? No, it’s Ames.
4. Ann Arbor, MI
Thinking of moving to Wolverine territory? Start by learning the lyrics to the University of Michigan fight song (“Hail! to the victors valiant; Hail! to the conqu’ring heroes; Hail! Hail! to Michigan, the champions of the West!”), then get ready to take notes on what makes this city (one of the best in the country!) so beloved.
First is the college’s award-winning museums, cultural performances, nationally ranked sports teams (the football stadium seats a whopping 107,601 — think epic tailgating) and Instagram-worthy campus. Then there’s the food and drink scene: more than 300 restaurants, food trucks, a charming farmers’ market and a spate of breweries.
Or the festivals held most weekends. Or the outdoor options — golf, hike, mountain bike, snowshoe or cross-country ski or, canoe, paddleboard or kayak the Huron River.
Named a winner on lists celebrating the most educated cities in America, best coffee, best college towns, happiest cities, best cities for entrepreneurs, best cities in the Midwest and so on, Ann Arbor boasts about 123,372 residents (University of Michigan students included). The median home value is $497,682, and almost 10 percent of the workforce is employed by the university (the city’s largest employer); unemployment is low, with health care, automotive, IT and biomedical research fields leaders in the industry.
Ann Arbor? Hail, yes!
5. Fort Collins, CO
When it comes to Rocky Mountain college towns, Boulder tends to get most of the love. But Fort Collins, home to CU’s intra-state rival, Colorado State, is bursting with potential as a worthy city to put down roots.
And if you’re a beer drinker? It’s time to hoist a pint. Fort Collins makes roughly 70 percent of the craft beer made in Colorado and has one of the highest numbers of microbreweries per capita. When friends visit, hop on a brew tour (there are plenty to choose from) to sample a Fat Tire from New Belgium, a 90 Shilling from Odell or a Dunkel from Zwei.
Just an hour’s drive north of Denver, this Northern Colorado town (population: 170,959) may center on CSU (which boasts a world-class performing arts center, historic buildings and a state-of-the-art stadium), but it also supports a ballet troupe, opera company, symphony, art galleries, museums and lots of live music venues. The major employers in the area include Advanced Energy Industries, Anheuser Busch, Banner Health and CSU.
And the setting isn’t bad either. Located along the Cache La Powder River and the Front Range, camping, hiking, skiing, fishing, biking and other outdoor adventures are just moments away. It’s a perpetual award-winner on top city lists, from the best city for cycling to the best place to raise a family and one of the best places to live.
The average home price in Fort Collins is climbing — currently, it’s at $488,892, with one-bedroom apartments renting for $1,349 on average. But it’s easy to see why folks come here for college and stay forever.
