To find the top job markets for new college grads entering the labor market in 2017, we queried our database of over 7 million active jobs across the United States to look at the following:
- The overall availability of entry-level college jobs in cities across the U.S.
- The ratio of open entry-level college jobs to the number of applicants for those jobs in each city
We then controlled for any city whose unemployment rate was above the national average of 4.7%. The resulting list includes cities in every region of the country, each of whom has a strong economy, low unemployment, and a large number of entry level jobs for college grads.
Key Findings
- The Western U.S. has the most cities on the list, with 8. The South is next with 7, followed by the Midwest with 3, and the Northeast with 2.
- All of the Midwest cities on the list are in the top 5
- The top industry in 11 of the cities on the list is Technology
- The top tech job is Project Manager
- The Tech industry was followed by Business (4 cities), Finance & Insurance (3 cities), and Health Care (2 cities) in descending order of top industries in each city
- Strong job markets can create overheated rental markets, but not always: the median rent* in three of the top cities is less than $1000 (*via Trulia)
New College Grad Sentiment Survey
To get a sense of how new college grads view the job market, and to understand how they plan enter the labor market, we surveyed over 2,000 ZipRecruiter job seekers:
- 78.9% of new grads are optimistic they will find a job, and 55% overall are very optimistic.
- Growth potential is the most important consideration for new grads when looking for a job, with 54.2% ranking number one.
- Second is pay, at 26.7%, and third is benefits, at 11.6%
- When it comes to choosing a place to put down roots, 38.8% of new grads said they were willing to move anywhere for a new job.
- 31.4% would not move farther than 25 miles for a new job.
- 9.4% preferred to stay right where they are, and would not move at all.
The Best Job Markets for New College Grads
1. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN–WI
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
Median rent: $1600
2. Kansas City, MO–KS
Top industry: Business
Top job: Account Manager
Unemployment rate: 4.4%
Median rent: $850
3. Portland–Vancouver–Beaverton, OR–WA
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.9%
Median rent: $1950
4. Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA
Top industry: Health Care
Top job: Registered Nurse
Unemployment rate: 3.9%
Median rent: $2650
5. Indianapolis–Carmel, IN
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
Median rent: $995
6. Salt Lake City, UT
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.2%
Median rent: $1495
7. Boston–Cambridge–Quincy, MA–NH
Top industry: Business
Top job: Administrative Assistant
Unemployment rate: 3.7%
Median rent: $2637
8. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.5%
Median rent: $4325
9. Nashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
Top industry: Finance and Insurance
Top job: Financial Analyst
Unemployment rate: 3.7%
Median rent: $1695
Top industry: Health Care
Top job: Registered Nurse
Unemployment rate: 4.3%
Median rent: $1387
11. San Antonio, TX
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
Median rent: $1350
12. San Diego–Carlsbad–San Marcos, CA
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
Median rent: $2750
13. Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZ
Top industry: Finance and Insurance
To job: Staff Accountant
Unemployment rate: 4.4%
Median rent: $1300
Top industry: Business
Top job: Account Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.2%
Median rent: $2000
15. Austin–Round Rock, TX
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.7%
Median rent: $1895
Top industry: Business
Top job: Jr. Account Manager
Unemployment rate: 4.3%
Median rent: $995
17. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Unemployment rate: 3.9%
Median rent: $3100
18. Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX
Top industry: Finance and Insurance
Top job: Staff Accountant
Unemployment rate: 4.3%
Median rent: $1695
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 4.3%
Median rent: $1500
20. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA
Top industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Unemployment rate: 3.6%
Median rent: $3295
