Chicago earned a spot on a list of the top 20 U.S. cities for new college graduates, based on a new Insurify study. | Pexels.com / Stanley Morales
Chicago earned a spot on a list of the top 20 U.S. cities for new college graduates, based on a new Insurify study. | Pexels.com / Stanley Morales
Chicago came in 19th in a new study by the insurance comparison website Insurify showing the city in each state that is most friendly to recent college graduates.
The Illinois city earned an overall score of 63.5 out of 100 in the analysis, which ranked the cities based on categories such as metropolitan jobless rates, cost of living, public transit options, and arts and entertainment facilities. In comparison, No. 1 St. Louis, Mo., earned a score of 100.
The study’s authors noted that with the COVID-19 pandemic winding down, many new graduates are now looking for locations to put down roots.
Eight of the top 10 cities for recent graduates, including Minneapolis and Rapid City, S.D., are located in the Midwest, according to the Insurify analysis.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate stood at 3.8% as of June, and the cost of a one-bedroom apartment averaged $1,185 per month as of July, the study said. Chicago's jobless rate stood at 4.8%.
Excluded from the ranking were Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming due to a lack of municipal data.
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Top U.S. Cities for New College Graduates
| Rank (Based on Overall Score) | State | Best City for Grads | Overall Score | Cost of Living Index (100 = U.S. Average) | Jobless Rate (June 2022) |
| 1 | Missouri | St. Louis | 100.0 | 89.6 | 2.8% |
| 2 | Minnesota | Minneapolis | 98.3 | 105.4 | 2.2% |
| 3 | South Dakota | Rapid City | 88.8 | 94.2 | 2.5% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | 85.5 | 93.1 | 4.6% |
| 5 | Nebraska | Lincoln | 84.9 | 94.7 | 2.4% |
| 6 | Oregon | Portland | 78.9 | 116.5 | 3.6% |
| 7 | North Dakota | Fargo | 75.8 | 91.4 | 2.1% |
| 8 | Indiana | Fort Wayne | 73.7 | 86.8 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Colorado | Denver | 73.3 | 112.1 | 3.2% |
| 10 | Florida | Tampa | 73.0 | 101.4 | 2.9% |
| 11 | New York | New York City | 72.4 | 128.0 | 4.4% |
| 12 | Iowa | Des Moines | 68.2 | 91.7 | 2.5% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | Milwaukee | 66.8 | 93.8 | 4.0% |
| 14 | Tennessee | Nashville | 66.6 | 100.1 | 3.4% |
| 15 (tie) | Maryland | Baltimore | 66.5 | 107.0 | 4.6% |
| 15 (tie) | Michigan | Detroit | 66.5 | 107.0 | 4.6% |
| 17 (tie) | California | Los Angeles | 64.8 | 140.6 | 4.6% |
| 17 (tie) | Washington | Seattle | 64.8 | 124.6 | 3.3% |
| 19 | Illinois | Chicago | 63.5 | 100.1 | 4.8% |
| 20 | Kansas | Wichita | 63.4 | 86.8 | 3.2% |
| 21 | Ohio | Cincinnati | 60.3 | 92.4 | 3.9% |
| 22 | Oklahoma | Tulsa | 59.6 | 86.7 | 3.5% |
| 23 | North Carolina | Charlotte | 59.3 | 97.9 | 3.8% |
| 24 (tie) | Idaho | Boise | 59.2 | 100.3 | 2.7% |
| 24 (tie) | South Carolina | Spartanburg | 59.2 | 91.0 | 3.5% |
| 26 | Arizona | Phoenix | 59.0 | 104.3 | 3.4% |
| 27 | Virginia | Roanoke | 58.9 | 94.1 | 2.9% |
| 28 | New Mexico | Santa Fe | 58.7 | 105.1 | 4.2% |
| 29 | Alabama | Huntsville | 57.9 | 91.3 | 2.7% |
| 30 | Arkansas | Fayetteville | 57.5 | 90.4 | 2.8% |
| 31 | Texas | Lubbock | 57.0 | 88.8 | 3.8% |
| 32 | Kentucky | Lexington | 55.8 | 91.1 | 3.5% |
| 33 | Louisiana | New Orleans | 55.5 | 92.4 | 5.1% |
| 34 | Georgia | Atlanta | 54.7 | 112.1 | 3.2% |
| 35 | Nevada | Las Vegas | 54.4 | 100.7 | 5.7% |
| 36 | Massachusetts | Boston | 53.9 | 132.6 | 3.2% |
| 37 | Utah | Ogden | 50.2 | 99.8 | 2.4% |
| 38 | Mississippi | Gulfport | 47.7 | 86.8 | 4.5% |
| 39 | Maine | Bangor | 40.4 | 98.0 | 2.9% |
| 40 | Alaska | Anchorage | 32.8 | 110.7 | 4.2% |
| 41 | Connecticut | Hartford | 23.2 | 104.8 | 4.1% |
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