This is the first time the San Antonio metro area has made the list of 75 best places for college students, and in its debut, ranked number 15 of 227 Metro Statistical Areas studied for the index.
The College Destination Index is compiled by the American Institute for Economic Research. It is based not just on the quality of the universities, but also on quality of life factors such as cost of rent, diversity of student population, cultural and entertainment values, income per capita, and unemployment rates.
The index also measures earning potential of a community, the annual increase of entrepreneurial activity, the number of workers who walk to work or use mass transit or bicycles, and Brain Drain & Gain – or the year-over-year ratio of degreed individuals who remain in the area.
Austin-San Marcos ranked Number 2 and the San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA ranked at number 15 in mid-size category of 1 million to 2.5 million residents.
College Station ranked number 12 in the small college-town category of fewer than 250,000 residents.
