With application season in full swing and student living expenses reaching over $36,000 per year in some regions, WalletHub today released its report on Best & Worst College Towns in America for 2026, as well as expert commentary. This report is a follow-up to WalletHub’s College & University Rankings.
| Best Large College Towns |
| 1. Austin, TX |
| 2. Orlando, FL |
| 3. Tampa, FL |
| 4. Raleigh, NC |
| 5. Atlanta, GA |
| 6. Pittsburgh, PA |
| 7. Phoenix, AZ |
| 8. Miami, FL |
| 9. Seattle, WA |
10. Sacramento, CA
Best Midsize College Towns
1. Tempe, AZ
2. Reno, NV
3. Gainesville, FL
4. Scottsdale, AZ
5. Tallahassee, FL
6. Salt Lake City, UT
7. Madison, WI
8. Charleston, SC
9. New Haven, CT
10. Boise, ID
Best Small College Towns
1. Ann Arbor, MI
2. Charlottesville, VA
3. Berkeley, CA
4. West Lafayette, IN
5. Laramie, WY
6. Champaign, IL
7. Pullman, WA
8. St. Charles, MO
9. Wilmington, NC
10. Cambridge, MA
Note: For simplicity, we used the term “Towns” to refer to both cities and towns.
Best vs. Worst
- Charleston, Illinois, has the lowest cost of a two-bedroom apartment rental, which is 4.7 times lower than in Santa Cruz, California, the city with the highest.
- Brownsville, Texas, has the lowest cost-of-living index for young people, which is 3.2 times lower than in Stanford, California, the city with the highest.
- Laredo, Texas, has the lowest cost of higher education, which is 4.2 times lower than in Evanston, Illinois, the city with the highest.
- Stony Brook University, New York, has the most enrolled students (per 1,000 residents), which is 26.8 times more than in Cape Coral, Florida, the city with the fewest.