See which Triangle spots ranked highly on a list of best college towns in America

North Carolina is home to dozens of universities, along with some of the country’s top-rated college towns.

WalletHub released a list of America’s best and worst college towns based on three key dimensions: wallet friendliness, social environment and academic and economic opportunities. Factors like cost of living, crime rate and quality of higher education in the city were analyzed across 415 cities.

Out of all the hot spots for college students, Raleigh ranked among the top five best large college towns in the U.S., which is home to seven traditional colleges and universities, including North Carolina State University, Meredith College and Shaw University. Plus, the state capital isn’t too far of a drive from the University of Chapel Hill and Duke University.

“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,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in the report. “In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”

In terms of city size, Cary ranked No. 9 among best mid-sized college towns and Wilmington ranked No. 10 among best small college towns.

Here’s how the Triangle area and coastal areas compared to the other top-rated college towns across the country.

Best large college towns

1. Austin, TX

2. Orlando, FL

3. Tampla, FL

4. Raleigh, NC

5. Atlanta, GA

6. Phoenix, AZ

7. Miami, FL

8. Sacramento, CA

9. Pittsburgh, PA

10. San Diego, CA

Best mid-sized college towns

1. Scottsdale, AZ

2. Tempe, AZ

3. Gainesville, FL

4. Boise, ID

5. Charleston, SC

6. New Haven, CT

7. Tallahassee, FL

8. Salt Lake City, UT

9. Cary, NC

10. Madison, WI

While our area’s nationally revered colleges aren’t in Cary, Wake Technical Community College’s Western Wake Campus on Kildaire Farm Road gave the town enough criteria to be considered in the report, WalletHub’s spokesperson Diana Polk previously told The News & Observer.

Best small college towns

1. Ann Arbor, MI

2. Charlottesville, VA

3. Champaign, IL

4. College Station, TX

5. Missoula, MT

6. West Lafayette, IN

7. Santa Barbara, CA

8. Berkeley, CA

9. Pullman, WA

10. Wilmington, NC

You can find WalletHub’s full report of the best and worst college towns online at wallethub.com.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 7:00 AM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription