A new report ranks Orlando as one of the best cities for college students in the United States.
On Tuesday, WalletHub released its 2025 list of the Best College Towns in America. The personal finance company used 31 data points from over 400 cities of varying sizes to rank them on things like their affordability, social environment, and academic and economic opportunities for students.
“Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years,” says WalletHut analyst Chip Lupo. “Towns with a low cost of living, plenty of activities and large student populations can make your college experience a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.”
Lupo added that “cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”
On WalletHub’s latest list, Orlando was recognized as the third-best college town in the county. The company stated that in addition to its most notable school, the University of Central Florida, Orlando has the 14th-cheapest tuition (including room and board) for in-state students at $24,668 per year.
The City Beautiful was also recognized for its high-quality education, ranking 54th among the 400-plus cities in the study.
In addition, Orlando “provides a ton of enrichment for students outside of class,” including “an especially high number of attractions, sports clubs, shopping centers, food trucks, and coffee shops per capita.” Students can also play or watch NCAA Division 1 sports such as basketball, soccer, and football, to list a few.
WalletHub further mentioned that Orlando’s economy, which has one of the lowest unemployment rates and the 16th-highest job growth rate in the U.S., makes the city “a great place to stay and work even after graduation.”
Ranking ahead of Orlando was Ann Arbor, Michigan (2nd) and Austin, Texas (1st).
Other Florida cities represented on WalletHub’s latest list include Tampa (4th), Gainesville (10th), Miami (14th), Tallahassee (15th), St. Petersburg (70th), Boca Raton (85th), Jacksonville (90th), Fort Lauderdale (94th), Lakeland (111th), Cape Coral (117th), Port St. Lucie (158th), Coral Gables (180th), Hollywood (195th), Daytona Beach (238th), Davie (286th), West Palm Beach (288th), Hialeah (295th), Pembroke Pines (334th), Miramar (342nd), Sunrise (350th), Coral Springs (359th), Brandon (361st), and Kendall (405th).
For more details on the rankings, including the complete list of cities and the methodology used to rank them, visit WalletHub’s 2025 Best College Towns in America webpage.