A Michigan City Ranks as One of the Best College Towns in America

High school students have a big decision when it comes to thinking of which college they might attend.

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Students need to decide what they might like to study and which school offers a great course in that field. However, those aren't the only components that factor into the decision. Where the school is located, how much it costs, what kind of city life that particular college town provides, and more also go into this important decision-making. That's where WalletHub has decided to step in and help out.

2023's Best College Towns & Cities in America

WalletHub recently took a look at over 400 college towns and cities in America and put together a very comprehensive list ranking them from "best" to "worst". They know that money is typically tight for many college students, and with that in mind, they took a look at three key components when it came to ranking. They looked at "wallet friendliness", "social environment", and "academic & economic opportunities", and gave each town a ranking within those categories that contributed to their overall score.

Looking at the list, we did learn that one Michigan city, in particular, did very poorly. Flint, Michigan. Unfortunately, Flint, Michigan ranked dead last out of the total of 415 cities looked at.

However, right now we're looking at a Michigan city that ranks as one of the best. and that's...

Ann Arbor, Michigan!

Best College Town in Michigan and America

Ann Arbor holds down the number two overall spot out of all 415 cities and towns. Making it the second-best in America and the very best college city in Michigan.

Ann Arbor didn't rank super high when it came to "wallet friendliness", only scoring 243 out of 415, ranking that category in the lower half. However, Ann Arbor has excellent scores in "social environment" and "academic & economic opportunities" with scores of 22 and 20, respectively. Meaning that Ann Arbor has plenty of fun stuff to do around town so that students can blow off steam and there are plenty of opportunities to further their education and find a fulfilling and money-making job post-graduation.

Michigan College Towns

If you're looking for a Michigan college town that ranks well but has a better "wallet friendliness" ranking, look no further than East Lansing with an overall ranking of 142.

East Lansing is the second-highest-ranking Michigan town on the list. It ranks high in "social environment" with a score of 36. And it didn't do too badly in "wallet friendliness" either with a score of 116. "Academic and economic opportunities" leaves a little something to be desired though, with a score of 367.

You can check out how other college towns across the country compared, here.