What is Alabama's best college town? One new study says Huntsville

uah campus — Huntsville was listed as Alabama’s best college town. (Hville Blast)

When you think of great “college towns” in Alabama, does Huntsville come to mind? Well, according to a new study released by financial wellness publication WalletHub, it certainly should.

The Rocket City was included in the WalletHub list of “Best College Towns & Cities in America,” and was ranked higher than any other city in the state.

Why Huntsville was ranked as a great college town

hiring — Several factors played into Huntsville’s inclusion on the WalletHub list. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

WalletHub compared more than 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes based on 31 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students. The data set ranges from the cost of living and the crime rate to the quality of higher education in the city.

The top cities on the list are likely no surprise, as the top 5 look like this:

Austin, Texas
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Orlando, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Raleigh, North Carolina

But further down the list, Huntsville comes in at #52, the first showing of any Alabama town on the list. Huntsville’s affordability and economic/educational opportunities ranked it above other college towns in the state.

Auburn is the only other Alabama college town that made the top 100, coming in at #99.

Here’s where some of Alabama’s college towns ranked:

#52 Huntsville
#99 Auburn
#231 Mobile
#232 Birmingham
#322 Tuscaloosa
#363 Montgomery

Check out the interactive map from WalletHub:

Source: WalletHub

“Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years.

Towns with a low cost of living, plenty of activities and large student populations can make your college experience a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst

Read the full report here.

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