Graduating this May and leaving the yard not sure what to do next? Check out USA Today‘s article on the top 20 cities for college graduates.
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5. Minneapolis
A metropolis with a down-home vibe was exactly what Sarah Cutler was looking for. The senior at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, but she always considered herself a big-city girl. So when she was offered an internship at Target last summer in Minneapolis, she jumped at the chance … and fell in love with “The Mini Apple.”
“The people were very kind, very Midwestern and very warm and friendly,” said Cutler, who is moving to Minneapolis in August to be a business analyst for Target. “You don’t have to compromise a big city for stone-cold people.”
Cutler found that she didn’t have to sacrifice her love for the outdoors, either. Although it has a population of nearly 400,000, the city prides itself on its abundance of bike paths, lakes and hiking trails.
With an affordable cost of living, an exceptional transportation system and company headquarters such as Target and General Mills, the city offers a range of opportunities for grads and is an attractive home for 20-somethings.
“I’m looking forward to making a new circle of friends,” Cutler said, “and I think that’s going to be really easy to do in Minneapolis.”
4. Seattle
There’s more to Seattle than the Space Needle and Starbucks.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, it just rains all the time,’” said Adam Sherman, a third-year law student at the University of Washington. “But I think when you’re talking to people who actually live here, they get past that rain really fast because of all the other things it has to offer.”
For any graduate who is looking to diversify their life, look no further than Seattle, home to Microsoft and Boeing. The city is a melting pot for a wealth of cultures, boasting museums as well as neighborhoods housing all nationalities.
But, Sherman says, one of the biggest appeals is the affordability. Because Seattle is home to many universities, the food and entertainment is priced toward those on a budget.
Finally, like Minneapolis, the kindness of Seattle residents is an undeniable draw.
“I feel like more here than other places that I’ve been, people are allowed to be who they are,” said Sherman, who has lived in the Seattle area his whole life. “I have traveled around the country a lot, and every time I travel, I love where I am, but I come back, and I’m like, ‘Wow. This is where I need to be.’”
