College grads, you've worked hard. Studied countless hours. And for the most part, taken out so many student loans the national debt almost makes sense. Almost. Come on, you're not insane. Just delirious from addressing commencement invitations and taking final exams. But once you have that diploma in hand, what's next?
You need that first "real" job to launch your career. Yet, metro Atlanta is home to at least 84 colleges, universities and trade schools. That's a lot of graduates and a lot of competition. No worries. The ATL has love for you all. NerdWallet.com recently went on a mission, asking this question: What are the best cities in America for a recent college grad? The ATL answered back, landing in the top 10 of that list.
Nerd staffers analyzed the country's 100 largest cities and ranked them on data gleaned from the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau report noting such things as job options, age of the population, rent costs and median earnings. From there, they factored in unemployment rates from December 2015 as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The findings make for interesting reading, but here's the cliff notes on Atlanta: We have a lower cost of living than most. The median annual earnings for a resident age 25 or older with a bachelor's degree is about $50,420, according to the study. Rent throughout metro Atlanta is going to take about 24 percent of that, which is one of the lowest percentages in the top 10.
Atlanta also has an impressive lineup when it comes to heavyweight employers. A total of 13 Fortune 500 company headquarters are located here, such as Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines. In fact, as of last year, Atlanta had the third highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within the metro area.
Curious what other cities are great for recent college grads? Here's the list.
Best cities for recent college grads:
10. San Francisco
9. Atlanta
8. Austin, Texas
7. Pittsburgh
6. Seattle
5. Minneapolis
4. Boston
3. Washington, D.C.
2. Madison, Wisconsin
1. Arlington, Virginia
