20. Fairfax, Virginia — Overall score: 35.65
Colleges near Fairfax: George Mason University, Ivy Christian College
Fairfax's biggest employer is G4S Secure Solutions, a security services company.
19. Highland Heights, Kentucky — Overall score: 35.65
Colleges near Highland Heights: Northern Kentucky University
Electrical cable company General Cable (a Fortune 500 company) calls Highland Heights home.
18. Columbia, South Carolina — Overall score: 35.75
Colleges near Columbia: University of South Carolina
Columbia's biggest employers are the Palmetto Health hospital system and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.
(T) 15. Vermillion, South Dakota — Overall score: 35.80
Colleges near Vermillion: University of South Dakota
Some of Vermillion's biggest employers are the University of South Dakota (800 employees), its public school system (170 employees), and Walmart (around 100 employees).
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip Ad(T) 15. Wayne, Nebraska — Overall score: 35.80
Colleges near Wayne: Wayne State College
Some of Wayne's biggest economic industries (besides Wayne State College) are government, agribusiness, the wholesale/retail industry, and the service industry, according to its site.
(T) 15. Athens, Ohio — Overall score: 35.80
14. Carbondale, Illinois — Overall score: 35.95
13. Blacksburg, Virginia — Overall score: 36.05
Colleges near Blacksburg: Virginia Tech, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
In 2011, Businessweek named Blacksburg the best US town to raise children. That same year, Southern Living named it the best college town in the South.
(T) 11. Oxford, Mississippi — Overall score: 36.15
Colleges near Oxford: University of Mississippi
Oxford markets itself as a popular tourist destination on its site, and it's clear why: writers like William Faulkner and John Grisham have called the town home. And its university, dubbed "Ole Miss," enrolled 23,258 students in the fall of 2017.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip Ad(T) 11. Auburn, Alabama — Overall score: 36.15
Colleges near Auburn: Auburn University
About a quarter of Auburn's workforce is employed by Auburn University (around 4,300 employees).
10. Morgantown, West Virginia — Overall score: 36.20
Colleges near Morgantown: West Virginia University
Morgantown offers a number of incentives for small-business owners, including its own Economic Restructuring Committee and the West Virginia University School of Business and Economics.
9. Stillwater, Oklahoma — Overall score: 36.55
Colleges near Stillwater: Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma State University
Stillwater's two largest employers are Oklahoma State University (6,069 employees) and
Stillwater Medical Center (1,200 employees).
8. West Lafayette, Indiana — Overall score: 36.80
Colleges near West Lafayette: Purdue University
Purdue's current enrollment is 40,000, almost as much as the city's population. The university itself employs some 12,000 people, making it the single biggest employer in West Lafayette. There's also Purdue Research Park, which hosts around 140 companies.
7. Newark, Delaware — Overall score: 36.90
Colleges near Newark: University of Delaware
The University of Delaware prides itself on its business, chemistry, and biochemistry studies, which go hand in hand with Delaware's growing chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip Ad6. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — Overall score: 36.95
Colleges near Harrisburg: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Penn State Harrisburg, Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg's top employers are: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (state government, 21,885 employees) United States Federal government (including military, 18,000 employees), Giant Food Stores (grocery store chain, 8,902 employees), and Penn State Hershey Medical Center
(8,849 employees). The Hershey Company alone employs over 13,000 people (including manufacturing and Hersheypark).
5. Oxford, Ohio — Overall score: 37.15
4. College Park, Maryland — Overall score: 37.40
Colleges near College Park: University of Maryland, Washington Adventist University
In 2017, College Park released a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, where it listed its top employers. Here are the top three: University of Maryland, College Park (17,072 employees), University of Maryland University College (2,000 employees), National Archives and Records Administration (1,700 employees).
3. Morehead, Kentucky — Overall score: 38.50
2. Kingston, Rhode Island — overall score: 38.60
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip Ad1. Notre Dame, Indiana — Overall score: 42.50
Colleges near Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame
According to City-Data, Notre Dame, Indiana, has the highest percentage of college students in town, and 50% of all workers are in the educational services industry. 79.2% of residents are also college graduates, compared to Indiana's average, 20.9%.