Indiana Makes Best College Towns and Cities List

As high school seniors consider their collegiate options, how important is the geographical location? Personal finance website WalletHub has has released its list of 2022’s Best College Towns & Cities in America. It examined 415 U.S. cities that have a university or college with at least 7,500 students.

Six Indiana communities made the list, including one in the top ten.

In order to determine the best college towns and cities in America, WalletHub gauged the communities across three key dimensions: wallet friendliness, social environment, and academic & economic opportunities.

The highest ranked Indiana community was West Lafayette, coming in No. 8 overall. It’s followed by:

No. 45 Bloomington
No. 94 Muncie
No. 145 Indianapolis
No. 207 Fort Wayne
No. 333 Terre Haute

Herman Watson, professor in the College of Education at Kentucky State University, says finding the right community can be a key to collegiate success.

“A surrounding city/town might provide part-time employment opportunities for students while attending college. A surrounding city/town might also provide an opportunity for full-time employment for the student upon completion of their degree,” said Watson. “For many students who are from rural areas or communities, a college town provides exposure for them.”

In the sub-category of lowest-cost, Muncie came in at No. 4. Austin, Texas was ranked No. 1 overall.

Click here to view the list.