Michigan college town ranked as the second-best in the country
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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 quality of education, employment prospects and recreational activities.
Ann Arbor ranked second-best college town of 2027
Big picture view:
Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, claimed the No. 2 spot among the top college towns, supported by its concentration of higher education institutions, large number of students attending the college, and its incredible access to top-level NCAA Division 1 athletics.
According to WalletHub, Ann Arbor ranked 12th nationally for the quality of higher education among the cities included in the study.
A University of Michigan flag on the Michigan Union building at the schools campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025. The Department of Education said it opened investigations into five universities to determine whether the schools
WalletHub also identified Ann Arbor as having reasonable tuition costs — $36,932 — compared to other well-known universities across the country that can cost up to $95,000.
Beyond academics, Ann Arbor has a vast number of residents who are attendants of the University of Michigan — 352 out of every 1,000 residents. The college town also offers access to high-quality Division 1 college athletics and has the third-lowest average pizza price in the U.S.
Top college towns in America
- Austin, TX
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Charlottesville, VA
- Raleigh, NC
- Atlanta, GA
See the full report here.
Dig deeper:
Austin, Texas earned first place in the rankings. The city ranked 22nd nationally for educational quality. Its average annual cost for in-state tuition, including room and board, was $34,651, according to WalletHub.
Charlottesville, Virginia, secured third place, largely supported by the University of Virginia and the city's strong academic reputation.
Raleigh, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, rounded out the top five.
What they're saying:
"Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a statement. "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. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college."
Top ranked colleges in the US in 2027
The findings come on the heels of other data which ranked the best colleges in the U.S. for 2027.
RELATED: These colleges rank as the best in the US in 2027, data shows
Princeton University claimed the top spot in both the university rankings and the overall list for 2027. The institution has a 5% acceptance rate, and 93% of incoming students graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by WalletHub, which examined 415 cities across 31 metrics. This data was published on Oct. 20, 2026. This story was published from Los Angeles.