Lexington Named Top 20 Small City for College Students

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 11, 2015) — University of Kentucky students have lots of reasons for making UK their higher education choice, and now they have one more. The city of Lexington has been ranked by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) as one of the top 20 small cities for American college students for 2016.

AIER, an independent economic research organization, says that in addition to the educational benefits colleges have to offer, students also look at "essential supplements to formal education."  Those supplements, such as the people students meet, places they go and the school and employment opportunities that may await them after graduation, are tied to the cities where the college or university resides.

The rankings were calculated using such criteria as economic vitality, rent and availability of entertainment. In addition the cities were defined as having between 250,000 and 1 million residents. These annual rankings include eight other criteria that gauge both an area’s cultural and economic qualities. Taking the number 20 spot, Lexington ranked within the top 10 in the areas of rent costs, arts and entertainment. The city ranked in the top 20 in areas such as culture, city accessibility, diversity, cost of living and bars and restaurants.

AIER’s full list of top 20 small cities for American college students includes:

1.    Boulder, Colorado

2.    Durham, North Carolina

3.    Ann Arbor, Michigan

4.    Madison, Wisconsin

5.    Fort Collins, Colorado

6.    Santa Barbara, California

7.    Provo, Utah

8.    Naples, Florida

9.    Trenton, New Jersey

10.  Huntsville, Alabama

11.  Lincoln, Nebraska

12.  Asheville, North Carolina

13.  Des Moines, Iowa

14.  Omaha, Nebraska

15.  Portland, Maine

16.  Gainesville, Florida

17.  San Luis Obispo, California

18.  Honolulu, Hawaii

19.  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

20.  Lexington, Kentucky

The AIER is an independent nonprofit organization established in 1933 dedicated to helping and encouraging Americans to further their economic and financial knowledge for the enhancement of the nation’s well-being. Content includes monthly analyses of economic trends and business conditions, personal economic tools and tips and many lists for top college destinations and places to work.