Being a graduate is tough. After four years of programmed education in a controlled environment surrounded by your peers, you are suddenly thrust into the cold outside world. However, it's much harder to be a graduate in some cities than others, as our Newsweek maps shows.
A new study by experts at QR Code Generator assessed 100 major U.S. cities to determine how accessible they were to graduates based on various metrics. These include accommodation availability and cost, entry-level job opportunities, average salaries, monthly expenditure, and ratings of local bars and restaurants.
The map below shows how each city in the analysis was ranked according to these metrics:
According to these metrics, the ten most challenging cities to live as a recent college graduate are as follows:
- Irvine, California
- Santa Ana, California
- Newark, New Jersey
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Chesapeake, Virginia
- San Diego, California,
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Henderson, Nevada
- Chandler, Arizona
Out of these top ten worst cities for recent graduates, Jersey City and Henderson had the lowest number of entry-level job listings at 275. Boston had the highest average rent cost at $2,897 per month, followed by Irvine at $2,780 per month. Boston also had the highest monthly costs at $1,462, compared to $1,170 in all other states.
At the other end of the spectrum, the following cities ranked as the ten most accessible cities for recent graduates:
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Washington, District of Columbia
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Houston, Texas
- Stockton, California
- Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee
- Toledo, Ohio
- Seattle, Washington
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Bakersfield, California
Cincinnati, which was ranked as the best city for recent college graduates, had over 1,400 entry level job opportunities, an average salary of $69,471, low rent at $1,156 and low living costs at $973 a month.
"The findings provide important insights for students and recent graduates who are struggling to decide where to begin their postgraduation lives," Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator said in a statement.
"The study identifies some of the most challenging cities for college graduates by examining key factors such as high rental costs, limited entry-level job opportunities, and below-average salaries. These factors significantly impact a graduate's early career experience.
"By considering these factors, individuals can better avoid settling in cities that might hinder their professional and financial growth after college."
The study used vacancy data from job search platform Indeed, cost of living data from Numbeo, and rental cost data from Zillow.
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