Donna E. Shalala Student Center University of Miami Campus – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by YES Market Media
Cities with a minimum of 7,500 students are considered college towns.
Orlando, Florida – According to a Business Insider story, Florida cities placed fifth on WalletHub’s recent ranking of the country’s top 20 college towns, highlighting the state’s expanding impact on higher education and student life.
The personal finance website evaluated affordability, social environment, and academic opportunities in over 400 U.S. locations for its 2025 rating. Researchers looked at federal data on crime, employment growth, housing expenses, and tuition as well as lifestyle metrics like food trucks, nightlife, and the proportion of young adults.
Cities with 7,500 or more students were referred to as college towns, and they spanned from large metropolitan areas to small university centers.
One of the best statewide results in the nation was recorded by Florida:
With the second-highest affordability score among the top-ranked cities, Tallahassee came in at number 15.
Despite ranking 14th overall, Miami had the third-highest social rank among the top 20.
The University of Florida’s hometown, Gainesville, came in at number ten and was the most affordable city among the top twenty.
Thanks to its excellent pricing and one of the best social environments in the research, Tampa came in at number four overall.
With one of the best social scores and comparatively inexpensive in-state tuition, Orlando came in third place.
According to WalletHub, Florida’s college centers enjoy the advantages of sizable student populations, relatively cheaper housing costs, and growing employment sectors related to technology, tourism, and health care.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, came in second on the national list after Austin, Texas. Both cities received good marks for both economic and intellectual opportunities.
Other cities in the top 20 were Tempe, Arizona (No. 6), Atlanta (No. 7), Raleigh, North Carolina (No. 5), and Reno, Nevada (No. 8). New Haven, Connecticut, the home city of Yale University, came in at number 20.
Click here to view the full list.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.