How Does St. Cloud Stack Up Against Other USA College Towns?

St. Cloud State University was founded in 1869 as Third State Normal School and since that time has undergone numerous renovations, improvements and changes in general.

Financial website WalletHub has released a study ranking of more than 400 US cities with a college campus using three key dimensions: Wallet Friendliness, Social Environment and Academic/Economic Opportunities.

“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," said WalletHub 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. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”

The top five college towns in America were Austin, TX; Ann Arbor, MI; Orlando, FL; Tampa, FL and Raleigh, NC.

The bottom five (in order) were East Los Angeles, CA; Germantown, MD; Isla Vista, CA; Compton, CA and New Rochelle, NY.

So we know St. Cloud isn't in the top or bottom five, but where did it rank?

With a ranking of 135 in Wallet Friendliness, 355 in Social Environment and 237 in Academic Opportunities, St. Cloud, Minnesota was ranked #271 in the study. This puts them fourth in the state of Minnesota.

Other Minnesota cities on the list include Minneapolis (#52), Rochester (#132), St. Paul (#223), Mankato (#280), Duluth (#316) and Moorhead (#356).