See Where Worcester Ranks as a College Town?
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
“One of the most crucial steps in the process is the campus visit, which often includes a tour of the city or town that will serve as the student’s home for several years. Experts have argued that an institution’s geographical location is just as important as a strong curriculum and supportive school environment to a student’s academic success and personal development,” said WalletHub.
Worcester is ranked as the 133rd best college town out of 415 ranked towns, according to a study done by WalletHub.
Providence ranks 320th WalletFitness Rank, 234th in social environment and 70th in academic and economic opportunities.
The Rankings
WalletHub ranks Worcester 133rd behind Las Vegas and Whitewater, Wisconsin at 131 and 132, while ranking ahead of Ypsilanti, Michigan and Indianapolis at 134 and 135 respectively.
Oxford, Ohio is ranked as the best college town in the country, while Brookline, Massachusetts is ranked as the worst.
See the full rankings in the map below.
The Method
WalletHub’s analysts examined 415 cities of varying sizes across three key dimensions: 1) WalletFitness, 2) Social Environment and 3) Academic & Economic Opportunities
WalletHub limited their selection of cities to those with a university or college population of at least 7,500 students. Some cities that met the college population criterion were excluded from the analysis due to lack of available data. The cities were categorized based on the following population-size guidelines:
- Large Cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize Cities: 125,000 to 300,000 people
- Small Cities: Less than 125,000 people
WalletHub then evaluated the three key dimensions using 26 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions for college students.
WalletHub then calculated the overall score for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to rank the cities accordingly.
WalletFitness– Total Points: 25
- Housing Costs: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Note: This metric measures the price of a two-bedroom apartment rental.
- Adjusted Cost of Living for Young People: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
- Percentage of Rental Units: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Half Weight (~2.08 Points)
- Average Cost of Pizza & Burgers: Half Weight (~2.08 Points)
- Cost of Higher Education: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average tuition fee weighted by the number of students.
Social Environment – Total Points: 25
- Number of Students per Capita: Double Weight (~3.45 Points)
- Percentage of Population Aged 18 to 35: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Percentage of Single Persons: Half Weight (~0.86 Points)
- Student Gender Balance: Half Weight (~0.86 Points)
- Nightlife Options per Capita: Double Weight (~3.45 Points)
- Cafés per Capita: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Breweries per Capita: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Shopping Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Sports Clubs per Capita: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- City Accessibility: Half Weight (~0.86 Points)
- Note: This metric measures the percentage of workers who bike, walk or use public transportation
- Festivals per Capita: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Attractions: Full Weight (~1.72 Points)
- Crime Rate: Double Weight (~3.45 Points)
Academic & Economic Opportunities – Total Points: 50
- Quality of Higher Education: Triple Weight (~16.67 Points)
- Earning Potential for College Graduates: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the median earnings (adjusted by cost of living) of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Percentage of Part-Time Jobs: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
- Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
- Entrepreneurial Activity: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the four-year average net change in the number of businesses per capita.
- Brain Drain: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the annual change in the share of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Job-Growth Rate (2012 – 2015): Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
Related Slideshow: US News College Rankings 2016
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