The BEST Cities For New Grads: Business Week Report (PHOTOS)

Where's the best place to live after college? Each year, Business Week compiles data from local employers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Council for Community & Economic Research in order to determine which are the top cities for new jobs -- and new grads. Each city is ranked according to the following criteria: affordability of living costs, amount of employers looking to hire people at entry-level, average annual salary and rate of unemployment. So which cities reign as the nation's top graduate destinations? Click through to find out -- and see Business Week's full list for twelve more options and more information.

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1. Houston

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Houston is home to many major companies and the unemployment rate is relatively low -- 8.8 percent compared to the national rate of 9.5 percent. Average annual pay is $44,880.

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Houston is home to many major companies and the unemployment rate is relatively low -- 8.8 percent compared to the national rate of 9.5 percent. Average annual pay is $44,880.

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Comments

[DudeFromDallas]

03:30 AM on 07/28/2010

To all those here that can't resist making cracks about Texas, open your mind and listen. This country, as well as the rest of the world, needs to start looking at this state not as a whole but by sections. This state is too big to put into a general box. Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio should really be seen as separate entities from the rest of Texas from here forward. Rural Texans certainly see it as such. As other posters have mentioned, it is the rural areas that carry the vote and bring down educational performance. Why? WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE "RURAL" THAN MOST OTHER STATES!!!

Politically, Texas is changing. It is an uphill battle compliments of Tom Delay's gerrymandering, but change is taking place nonetheless. John McCain won the state my LESS THAN 1 million votes. The problem for Democrats in this state is apathy. Many democrats I know here just don't bother voting. They depend on CA,NY,IL,PA and God help us, FL to vote for a Democratic POTUS.

Anyway, I will step off my soapbox now. I just want you all to take that into consideration.

[garystartswithg]

09:54 AM on 07/28/2010

I used to live in Florida that also operates on gerrymandering and a similar sense of "diversity" as Texas. I have to say my quality of life is much improved now i don't have to face off with soapboxing tea partiers in the grocery store, call out people for hate bumper stickers, etc, etc. I know it still exists if i take a drive out to the burbs, but living in a district where republicans don't even bother running has its advantages.

[lastliberalintx]

03:07 AM on 07/28/2010

Four cities in the top ten.. Nice!

[Lena Collins]

07:12 PM on 07/22/2010

I am so proud of my state, the great state of Texas.
We welcome all of you to come and live. Everything is bigger and better in Texas, baby!

[garystartswithg]

06:09 PM on 07/26/2010

with the nutjobs that took over the education system i don't think parents that need to depend on public education need apply.

[lastliberalintx]

03:08 AM on 07/28/2010

Like all other states, public education is good in some places, and horrible in others. Live in a good school district and don't worry about it.

[Ohsnap]

12:04 AM on 07/22/2010

I'm an hour a half away from Minneapolis...that is where most of my resumes have gone.

[EmotionDetector]

10:32 PM on 07/21/2010

I am surprised Raleigh isn't on the list.

[RobertoAlba]

06:16 PM on 07/21/2010

Wow, Texas is looking good...

[garystartswithg]

06:16 PM on 07/26/2010

until you get there. i live in atlanta and wouldn't trade it for texas. we have lots of green initiatve projects too, i don't know of any place trying harder to push into the 21st century. urban neighborhoods are a lot more vibrant and friendly than anywhere i have been in the united states -- and i have been to a lot of places.

[lastliberalintx]

03:11 AM on 07/28/2010

Austin is wonderful and very "green". The urban neighborhoods are awesome, especially south Austin. (That is if you don't mind the hippies :) )

[enh8g2]

03:40 PM on 07/21/2010

So glad my hometown Houston made it on the list! Can't wait to get back there after I finish grad school!

[w4s]

02:34 PM on 07/21/2010

I think the ratio of salary / cost of living guarantees you will maximize goods on your shopping trips to the mall and Walmart. What kind of indicator is that? What about real indicators of quality of life?

[electricladyland]

08:41 AM on 07/21/2010

One criterion I'm guessing was overlooked by the report -- where to find the best weed.

[trunk65]

11:19 AM on 07/21/2010

Nah, Austin was listed.

[lastliberalintx]

03:12 AM on 07/28/2010

LOL! I am no connoisseur, but I am sure Houston is a good place as well.

[lastliberalintx]

03:12 AM on 07/28/2010

AND it's CHEAP!

[A Jay]

07:31 AM on 07/21/2010

YAY Texas!!! ...that's one of the few times I can say that to a story on HP. LOL...

[kapalabhati]

07:00 AM on 07/21/2010

Those photos are beautiful, especially the Ft. Worth and Pgh. photos.

[ghee99]

05:35 AM on 07/21/2010

i would say the best city for new grads is which ever city mom and dad live in

...cause you're gonna be living in their basement for quite a while

[w4s]

02:34 PM on 07/21/2010

amen.

[lastliberalintx]

03:13 AM on 07/28/2010

haha I agree. Mine just so happens to be in Houston!

[stonerose]

01:35 AM on 07/21/2010

I live in Dallas, Tx. You see more Obama stickers than you see anti-abortion and pro-war stickers here (mostly in banged up old trucks, some with the confederate flag stickers and these people are the reason why republicans get elected here). Same for Houston and Austin since they are college cities. The reason why Southern states are prosperous is big land (furthers development) and big oils and education (from apolitical schools). Texas and Georgia also has a large rural population so go figure.

[kapalabhati]

07:00 AM on 07/21/2010

Interesting. THen why does TX keep voting blood red?

[A Jay]

07:33 AM on 07/21/2010

Lots of land = lots of rural areas which typically vote Republican. If you look at maps after elections in TX, you'll see blue in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and SanAntonio, and mostly red everywhere else. =/

[stonerose]

06:22 PM on 07/21/2010

Like I said, rural voters make up a larger population of voters, but in cities like Houston and Dallas, you have more democratic city officials since these places are more educated and diverse.

[Danilo-11]

11:49 PM on 07/20/2010

The conservatives always talk about "Texas, the conservative states has a great economy" but never mention the fact that Texas economy is heavily dependant of cheap products from Mexico and cheap labor force from Mexico.

[perfecto332000]

12:18 AM on 07/21/2010

really? Examples? I know of multiple world headquarters based right in DFW area....none of which from Mexico. Of course, you probably think this nation would be better off without those mean greedy corporations anyway. Spawn of the devil they are...

[Ravi Abunijad]

01:23 AM on 07/21/2010

Well, many industries across America are heavily dependent on illegal labor, though, so that doesn't help his point at all about Texas. So, in that sense, he's half-right about immigration. Look at immigrants and meat packing, for example. Lots of literature is out there about the issue right now (though I think it's a bigger problem in places like Arkansas).

The Texas economy is bolstered by its energy industry right now, and the presence of multiple Fortune 500 company headquarters is also helping with anchoring employment, but manufacturing has been on the decline for awhile now (35,000 jobs were lost over the last year). Texas is alright right now economically, but the state does need to take further action relatively soon if it doesn't want to end up like Michigan or Ohio.

[southernsaint]

05:05 AM on 07/21/2010

I'm sorry but this pretentious comment is about as unspecified as it can get. Not only is it mocking, but it alludes to the fact that companies are evil when in fact companies are nothing. Companies (even in DFW) are machines that calculate for making money. Any human emotion in that? No. So siding with them is a bit odd.

[dlivtx]

10:18 PM on 07/20/2010

HA! Funny because Houston is the last city I would move to when I graduate.

[A Jay]

07:33 AM on 07/21/2010

why?

[rjmtx]

03:13 AM on 07/26/2010

Sprawl, violence, traffic, hot humidity, exceptionally aggressive drivers, built on a swamp, smoggy, mosquitoes, all chain stores and strip malls, ugly, too many people, huge, floods... I could go on.

If you grew up in Austin (or any other place that might make you think Houston is disgusting) and are not blinded by money, you probably wouldn't want to live there. I was born there and my family moved to Austin when I was four. I consider it one of the best things they ever did for me. I have family in Houston and am very familiar with the city, and would not ever want to live there either.

[dlivtx]

01:21 PM on 07/26/2010

What rjmtx said pretty much covers it

[mrm3]

11:20 AM on 07/21/2010

One of my friends is moving there, he's pretty stoked - seems like a good place for opportunity.