Website ranks Fargo No. 1 among college towns

FARGO -- Fargo’s low unemployment rate and short commutes helped make the city No. 1 on a new list of American college towns.

The Schools.com rankings of small college towns from earlier this month analyzed 170 cities with populations under 150,000 that have at least one four-year college or university.

Each community was ranked on a 20-point scale based on factors that included the percentage of residents aged 18-34, median annual rent, walkability, the number of bars and restaurants per 10,000 residents, and the percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree.

Fargo came out on top and ranked ninth for its percentage of residents over 25 with a bachelor’s degree at 24.8 percent. The low 2.5 percent unemployment rate and median annual rent of $7,260 helped the city move up in the rankings, too.

Grand Forks was No. 5, earning a high score for its low unemployment, short commute times and a strong nightlife scene with four bars per 10,000 residents.

Aberdeen, S.D., scored well enough for a No. 2 ranking, while Mankato, Minn., was sixth and Rochester, Minn., was 17th.