Ann Arbor Tops List of Best College Towns, Flint Ranks Near the Bottom

We never expected to top the list, but Flint's ranking as one of the nation's worst small college cities in the US is pretty disappointing. On the other hand, Ann Arbor tops WalletHub's study that examined various aspects of college life in 415 cities and towns across the country.

With the revitalization of Flint's downtown area, the addition of numerous restaurants, and University of Michigan-Flint housing, Flint shouldn't have finished in the bottom 10 of the financial website's ranking. That's our opinion, anyway.

WalletHub used the following metrics to determine their rankings:

• Wallet Friendliness
• Social Environment
• Academic & Economic Opportunities

A detailed explanation of the methodology used to determine each city's rank can be found here.

As you can see below, Flint's crime and unemployment rates brought down our city's overall ranking. The number of available rental units and students per capita also contributed to Flint's overall low ranking.

Student-Friendliness of Flint (1=Best; 208=Avg.):

• 24^th – Cost of Living for Young People
• 187^th – Quality of Higher Education
• 155^th – Cost of Higher Education
• 70^th – % of Part-Time Jobs
• 327^th – Brain Drain
• 164^th – City Accessibility
• 338^th – Crime Rate
• 363^rd – % of Rental Units
• 348^th – Students per Capita
• 337^th – Unemployment Rate

I'll admit that I'm a little biased. But as the father of a U of M Flint student (my son Nick graduates later this month), I tend to think Flint didn't get a fair shake in this survey. (What else is new?) Going to school in Flint was a great choice for my son, regardless of the factors that may have contributed to our overall low ranking.