Hartford Region Scores Well in Rankings of Top College Locations

Greater Hartford is ranked as the 10th best location for college students among mid-size metro areas in a new report by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).

The organization's 2012 College Destinations Index ranks the top 75 cities and towns for college students in the United States. The rankings are divided into four categories: major metros, mid-size metros, small metros, and college towns. See the rankings.

In creating the Index, the AIER evaluated a dozen factors using the most current data available from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Science Foundation, and Small Business Administration to provide a snapshot of each community’s overall academic and cultural environment, quality of life and employment opportunities in the area.

Cities and towns were ranked in the AIER College Destinations Index based on their performance across these specific areas:

Academic Environment:
Student Concentration: number of college students per 1,000 population
Student Diversity: percentage of student body that are non-U.S. residents
Degree Attainment: percent of the 25-to-34-year-old population with bachelor’s degree or higher

Quality of Life:
Cost of Living: based upon average rent for a two-bedroom apartment
Arts and Leisure: number of cultural and entertainment venues per 100,000 population
City Accessibility: percentage of workers over age 16 who commute on foot or by public transportation or bicycle
Creative Class: percentage of workforce in the arts, education, knowledge industries, science, engineering, management, other fields

Professional Opportunities:
Earning Potential: income per capita
Entrepreneurial Activity: net annual increase in total number of business establishments per 100,000 population
Unemployment Rate: percent of labor force without jobs but actively seeking jobs within the last four weeks
Brain Gain/Drain: year-over-year ratio of population with B.A. degrees living in the area

According to Steven Cunningham, AIER Director of Research and Education, “The characteristics that make up a great college destination often make a location ideal for business, retirement and tourism. A top AIER College Destinations Index ranking should be just as important to the town or city as it is to the schools located there and the families and students attending or considering them.”