Graduation season is nearly upon us. That means a job hunt is next for many, and Washington is the place where they should look. D.C. is the best city for recent college graduates, according to a new analysis of the 50 largest cities in the country by NerdWallet.
The financial planning website considered the presence of educated peers, income and affordability and strength of workforce in each city to reach its conclusions. Among its strengths, Washington has the greatest percentage of residents working in management, business, science or arts. The cost of living in the nation’s capital is higher than in most other places.
But the high median earnings for college grads and relatively low unemployment rate are reasons why D.C. continues to be a popular destination for those fresh out of college. The high number of government opportunities also ensures that the job market in D.C. is relatively more immune to economic recessions than in other parts of the country.
D.C. has always been a relatively strong job market, ranking second behind only Austin in another recent NerdWallet analysis, but its appeal to college grads has clearly improved in the last 12 months. Last year, D.C. ranked 6th on NerdWallet’s list of best cities for graduates
Following D.C. on the list this year, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Austin round out the top five.
