Mesa and Tempe are among 2021’s Best College Towns & Cities in America. The communities’ rankings were determined through a comparison of more than 400 U.S. cities by WalletHub.
WalletHub based the findings on 30 key indicators of academic, social and economic growth potential. The data set ranges from the cost of living to the quality of higher education to the crime rate.
| Best Large College Cities* | Best Midsize College Cities* | Best Small College Cities* |
| 1. Austin, TX | 1. Irvine, CA | 1. Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2. Raleigh, NC | 2. Gainesville, FL | 2. Provo, UT |
| 3. Seattle, WA | 3. Scottsdale, AZ | 3. Ithaca, NY |
| 4. Tampa, FL | 4. Orlando, FL | 4. Rexburg, ID |
| 5. Pittsburgh, PA | 5. Cary, NC | 5. Cambridge, MA |
| 6. San Diego, CA | 6. Roseville, CA | 6. College Station, TX |
| 7. Mesa, AZ | 7. Vancouver, WA | 7. Princeton, NJ |
| 8. Atlanta, GA | 8. Chandler, AZ | 8. Storrs, CT |
| 9. Columbus, OH | 9. McKinney, TX | 9. Chapel Hill, NC |
| 10. Las Vegas, NV | 10. Tempe, AZ | 10. West Lafayette, IN |