Top 10 Cities for Recent Grads
One of the most liberating realizations of recent grad-dom is that as soon as you leave campus, you are free to look for a job anywhere in the country—or just move to a new city without one if you’ve got the gumption. Of course, your decision about where to settle down (at least temporarily) after graduation will be complicated by a number of "x-factors," like where your boyfriend or girlfriend lives, how much of a mama’s boy/girl you are, and what you can afford. But there’s also something to be said for taking a risk on a town that appeals to your gut instinct, or one that serves as a hub for the industry you want to join.
[Photo by wwworks]
To help you brainstorm the Big Move, we've talked to recent grads across the country and trolled the 'net for both census data and meaningless trivia to bring you:
Gradspot.com's Top 10 Cities for Recent Grads >
Note: Needless to say, rental prices vary drastically within cities. We have provided the average monthly cost of a one-bedroom apartment in each city to serve as a quick barometer of the housing market/cost of living. However, there are a ton of factors that influence this number, so take into account the context. For example, a one-bedroom in New York will probably be a lot smaller than a one-bedroom in Atlanta or Houston, and in all cities costs vary significantly as you move between neighborhoods and/or share with roommates.
This top 10 list is extremely helpful and interesting to a soon-to-be graduate like myself! I referred this top 10 list on my own blog, aftergradavenues.com.
Considering a move to Chicago in the near future. So glad to see it's #1!
This entire list is entirely bogus. NYC is number 2? Are you kidding me? Fine, NYC has alot of fun stuff going on but were not talking about fun places to take a quick weekend. How about a place where 90% of the grads that move their have to move back out within a year!? I would not take this list as anything but a fun little description of a few cities. I live in LA and can say that only 15% of my city thinks it is in 'entourage', get a clue before you start judging cities based on average rent and 'closing time' (which is 4am in LA btw)
Do not move to CA unless you are moving here for a job that you have already been offered! I know a lot of people that have moved out here excited to start their career, just to find that the job market sucks and they can't get a job. You would be much better off on the east coast.
This list was helpful, but as a recent grad (and life-long resident) of Boston, I was disappointed in how one-sided the description of Beantown was. It seemed like whoever wrote it took a very cliche snapshot of "bro" culture (frats, Sox, beer) instead of actually realizing the unique diversity (one of the largest percentages of international residents), enormous push for arts and alternative culture (MFA, ICA, MassArt), and a pretty serious knack for fashion. C'mon guys! Let's wake up and smell the cliches and try to steer away from them.
This top ten list has been a very useful resource for myself and a couple of my friends as we were thinking of relocating to find work and we were considering Chicago but were concerned because NY is currently a nightmare for finding employment and so when I saw it on your list I was sceptical, but then I thought where there's a will, there's a way, so we have decided as a group to seek an employment contract in Chicago because I have seen on a few sites, including this one, that is very highly recommended for living and working and I hope the quality of life there will be better, apart from the colder weather!!