Laramie, UW Rank Highly on Best College Cities List

Laramie and the University of Wyoming have received high marks in another ranking of the nation’s college and university communities.

WalletHub.com, a website that bills itself as a resource to help consumers make good financial decisions, ranks Laramie No. 6 on its list of “2014’s Best & Worst College Cities & Towns in America.”

The website analyzed 280 U.S. cities and towns “to find the ones that promise the best or worst combination of academic, social and economic atmospheres.” It considered 23 metrics including the quality of higher education, crime rates and the cost of living.

“When touring universities and colleges, it’s important to examine not only an institution’s intellectual environment but also the city or town the student will call home for several years,” the website says. “Academic success depends on more than just the quality of a program. Also important is an area that is safe, affordable and conducive to personal development through a diversity of cultural and professional experiences.”

On the WalletHub.com list, Laramie ranks behind only Oxford, Ohio; State College, Pa.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Corvallis, Ore.; and College Station, Texas.

“Those of us who live and work here know what a wonderful community and university we have. It’s nice to see some nationwide recognition as well,” UW President Dick McGinity says. “We continue to encourage prospective students and parents to view college rankings with skepticism, but we agree with the conclusion that Laramie and UW are among the college communities most conducive to intellectual and personal development, along with being affordable.”

The full WalletHub.com list, along with explanations of its methodology, may be found at http://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-college-cities-and-towns-in-america/8974/.