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Arlington Named ‘Best City for Recent Grads’

Aerial view of Rosslyn as seen from a flight arriving at DCAArlington has topped a new list of the “best cities for recent grads” in the U.S.

Arlington is No. 1 on the list, which was compiled by the website NerdWallet. Other cities in the Top 10 include Madison, Wisconsin (#2); Washington, D.C. (#3) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (#7).

Here’s what the website had to say about Arlington and its No. 1 spot.

“If you’re looking to live near other educated people, this Washington, D.C., suburb is the place to be. A whopping 71.5% of Arlington’s 25-and-older population holds at least a bachelor’s degree, the highest percentage on our list. Arlington also is tops for the number of jobs in management, business, science or arts occupations, as well as for salaries.”

"Best Cities for Recent Grads 2016" rankings (image via NerdWallet)“Arlington, Virginia, stands out in our analysis because 67.1% of its workforce find jobs in management, business, science or the arts. These fields have the most jobs that require a bachelor’s degree or higher.”

“However, if you move here, be ready to give up a big chunk of your salary for housing. The median rent is one of the highest among the 100 cities in our analysis, and it would take up nearly a third (31.4%) of that paycheck.”

The report analyzed a number of data points, including:

  • Percentage of population 25 and older with bachelor’s degree or higher
  • Percentage of population ages 20 to 29
  • Median earnings of residents 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree
  • Jobs in management, business, science and arts occupations
  • Rent as a percentage of income
  • Unemployment rates