Austin, TX
Austin is the best college town in America, study says. See where your Texas town ranks
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As Texas prepares to meet Oklahoma in Dallas, the American-Statesman discusses the betting line and if this is college football’s best rivalry.
Sorry, Lubbock, Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and everyone else — Austin has been named the best college town in the country. But don’t worry; several Texas cities scored high in other categories.
A great college experience depends on a variety of factors, such as students’ living expenses, academic and employment opportunities, and social environment. A WalletHub analysis considered these to determine the best college towns in America for 2025.
“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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo explained. “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. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”
WalletHub gathered data on more than 400 U.S. cities based on 31 academic, social and economic indicators.
How did Texas cities rank among others? Here’s a breakdown.
People are also reading: These 5 Texas universities rank among top 100 US News best colleges for 2025. See list
LIST: Top 5 college towns in America
Joining Austin among the top five college towns were two in Florida, one in Michigan and one in North Carolina:
- Austin
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Orlando, Fla.
- Tampa, Fla.
- Raleigh, N.C.
Austin scores high in academic, economic opportunities and social environment
Overall, Austin scored 65.16 points out of 100 and ranked 14th for academic and economic opportunities. The Texas capital has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and claims the fifth-best annual job growth rate.
The capital of Texas also ranked high (17th) for its social environment. It has plenty of attractions, sports clubs and shopping centers to help students relax from the stress of a classroom. Did we mention Austin also has one of the lowest average prices for pizza? Students can also participate in or watch several top-level sports teams.
Austin ranks 17th for its quality of higher education. And with an annual average of $30,138, it has the 49th cheapest in-state tuition (including room and board).
However, like several high-ranking cities, Austin was somewhere in the middle in terms of wallet friendliness (191 out of 415).
Read more: UT-Austin ranks second in best Texas colleges, study shows. See which school ranks first
Brownsville has lowest cost of living for young people
Brownsville claimed the cheapest cost of living for college-age people, according to the WalletHub analysis. Its cost was three times lower than that of Stanford, the college town with the highest cost of living. Five California towns tied for the highest cost of living for this demographic: Stanford, Sunnyvale, Santa Monica, San Francisco and Santa Clara.
The college towns with the lowest cost of living for young people are as follows:
- Brownsville
- Springfield, Mo.
- Lansing, Mich.
- Jackson, Miss.
- Cleveland
College Station is fourth-best small college town
The WalletHub analysis also categorized U.S. college towns by size. While Austin was named the best large college town, College Station ranked fourth among small college towns.
However, some other Texas cities ranked low among the roughly 200 small college towns, including Huntsville (157th), Beaumont (155th), San Angelo (149th) and Nacogdoches (144th).
LIST: Best and worst college towns in Texas
Here’s how Texas college towns ranked overall:
- Austin (1st overall)
- College Station (23rd overall)
- Houston (54th overall)
- San Antonio (81st overall)
- Fort Worth (86th overall)
- Dallas (98th overall)
- San Marcos (100th overall)
- Killeen (102nd overall)
- Bryan (109th overall)
- McAllen (122nd overall)
- Carrollton (124th overall)
- Corpus Christi (134th overall)
- Pasadena (135th overall)
- Lubbock (136th overall)
- Laredo (156th overall)
- McKinney (165th overall)
- Brownsville (166th overall)
- Denton (168th overall)
- Amarillo (170th overall)
- El Paso (176th overall)
- Waco (177th overall)
- Irving (182nd overall)
- Arlington (209th overall)
- Garland (218th overall)
- Grand Prairie (226th overall)
- Pearland (237th overall)
- Richardson (248th overall)
- Wichita Falls (250th overall)
- Tyler (262nd overall)
- Edinburg (292nd overall)
- Abilene (317th overall)
- Mesquite (325th overall)
- Nacogdoches (327th overall)
- San Angelo (339th overall)
- Beaumont (355th overall)
- Huntsville (359th overall)
You might ask, “Why is there an Ikon Pass Stoke Event in Austin, Texas?”
Fact: There are more skiers and snowboarders in Texas than in Colorado. According to a 2017 Snowsports Industry Association study, Texas is home to roughly 800,000 skiers and riders, compared to Colorado’s 500,000. That impressive number puts Texas third in the nation for total ski and snowboard participants, behind only California and New York. Texans alone make up about 6% of all U.S. ski and snowboarders. And the proof is on the slopes: Ski areas in Colorado and New Mexico report that a staggering 70% of their out-of-state visitors hail from the Lone Star State. Yes—the legend of Texans being everywhere on the mountain is absolutely true.
Fact: Every Texan who skis is a destination skier. With no local ski resorts that are a quick Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City or short interstate drive away, Texans go big: they travel, stay longer, and spend more at Ikon Pass Destinations. As Kristin Rust, Vice President of Communications for Alterra Mountain Company, puts it, “Texas is a huge market, and Austin has a great number of pass holders.” With Ikon Pass offering such a wide network of resorts, and Texas home to so many skiers, Austin is a natural place for a Stoke Event.
This year’s Ikon Pass Stoke Event took place at Loro, the wildly popular South Lamar hangout blending Asian smokehouse flavors with laid-back Austin vibes. The gathering drew a lively crowd of local Ikon Pass holders. Guests enjoyed a spread of standout dishes—Oak-Grilled Edamame, Wonton Chips and Dip, Arugula & Melon Salad, and Oak-Smoked Brisket—paired with beer, wine, soft drinks, and Austin-meets-après cocktails like an Old Fashioned and, of course, the non-traditional slope-side margarita, a playful nod to Jimmy Buffett and the city where Margaritaville was written.
Attendance was strong, and the outdoor, under-the-oaks setting added an easy, welcoming feel. The energy was high as skiers swapped plans for upcoming trips to Ikon Pass destinations including SkiBig3 in Banff, Jackson Hole, Killington, the six Utah resorts on the pass, and the perennial “home resorts” for Texans—those in Colorado and New Mexico. Members of Austin Skiers, the city’s long-standing ski and travel club, were out in force and buzzing about club trips to the Ikon Pass resorts of Snowmass, Mt. Bachelor, SkiBig3, and Steamboat.
A major hit of the night was the CMH Heli-Skiing virtual-reality experience, a full 3D immersion complete with helicopter-ride visuals of the Canadian Rockies and a run down untouched powder with a small ski group. Riders found themselves carving turns, watching skiers float past, and looking up, down, and across the alpine terrain—an astonishingly vivid taste of what a heli-ski trip feels like. The CMH station stayed packed all evening.
The night wrapped up with a spirited swag giveaway, where lucky attendees scored prizes including Yeti mugs, a coveted Shot-Ski, and an Ikon Pass. What a great way to top off a fantastic night!
In the end, the Ikon Pass Stoke Event proved to be a fantastic celebration of Austin’s vibrant ski community—a chance to meet fellow snow lovers, swap stories, and get excited about the season ahead. For one night, Austin truly became a “Ski Town.”
AUSTIN, Texas (KVIA) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Southwest Airlines will establish a new pilot and flight attendant crew base in Austin.
Abbott joined the Austin mayor at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to make the announcement today.
The expansion to Austin will lay the groundwork for future operational growth in Texas. It is expected to generate 2,000 jobs in Austin by mid-2027. In addition to the pilots and flight attendants, Austin will now also be home to managerial and support staff. The new crew base will have an average salary of $180,000 a year, the Governor’s Office says.
The state is extending a $14 million Texas Enterprise Fund to the airline, as well as a $375,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus.
“Southwest Airlines was born and raised in Texas and has been a core element of the economic growth we have seen in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “We are excited to announce that today Southwest Airlines will add over 2,000 high paying jobs right here in Texas. We are the home of economic opportunity for our fellow Texans more than any other state in the United States, and we know a key reason for that is because of everything Southwest Airlines provides. We are proud to partner with everybody connected with Southwest as well as the City of Austin on such a huge announcement for our state.”
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin firefighters battled their second major fire Thursday afternoon, responding to an abandoned East Austin auto shop engulfed in flames.
Crews responded to 3100 Manor Road around 4 p.m., AFD said.
No injuries were reported and no one was inside the building.
ALSO | 40+ residents displaced in North Austin third-alarm apartment fire, no injuries reported
The incident was called in as a first alarm. The building is a total loss, according to officials.
CBS Austin has a crew on the way to the scene.
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Earlier in the afternoon, firefighters extinguished a three-alarm fire in north Austin.
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