For the several million students expected to graduate this spring, life is about to get a whole lot more exciting — and nerve-wracking. While graduating may be synonymous with freedom, self-actualization, and the start of promising careers, graduation is also synonymous with fears around the job hunt and housing.Â
This anxiety is pretty much a rite of passage across generation, but it’s definitely been compounded in recent years by the steadily increasing cost of living in the U.S. According to the Urban Institute’s American Affordability Tracker, while yearly earnings have increased by 43% since 2017, the average cost of rent has risen 54% and monthly electricity bills have increased $40 in the same amount of time.Â
The job market is another struggle. Drexel University’s 2026 College Hiring Outlook report notes that employer confidence in recent college graduates is at a low point — the lowest it has been in a decade. The hiring rate across all degree levels has slowed, recruitment of MBA and professional degree holders has decreased, and there has been a reduction in the number of employers who plan to increase their hiring. Of the employers who completed the Drexel survey, 14.4% rated 2026 college graduates’ job prospects as “poor.”
All of this uncertainty has left college students wondering: Where do I go now? Â
There is an upshot. A study by ADP Research made a list of the best — and worst — cities for 2026 college graduates based on these exact struggles: jobs and housing. This ranking were compiled by taking into account the cities’ hiring rates, average salary, and affordability. So, if you’re not sure where to go next, consider this a sign.
The Top Cities for 2026 Graduates
The two absolute best cities for 2026 graduates, per the study, are southern powerhouses Birmingham, Alabama and Tampa, Florida. Birmingham features a city-wide hiring rate of 2.8% with an average income for workers aged 20 to 29 of $59,004. Tampa’s city hiring rate is slightly higher at 3.4%, but has a lower annual income for those 20 to 29 with $49,378. Rounding out the best of the best list is San Jose, California (2.7% hiring rate and $70,708 average income) and Columbus, Ohio (3.1% and $51,596). Other strong contenders include Raleigh, North Carolina (2.8% and $56,372), Tulsa, Oklahoma (3.3% and $41,791) and San Francisco (2.6% and $67,780).Â
The Worst Cities for 2026 Graduates
Considering the same metrics of wages, hiring rate, and overall affordability, Salt Lake City and Riverside, California rank the lowest. Salt Lake City sports a 1.8% hiring rate with an average yearly income for the 20-29 age group of $49,220, while Riverside has a 2.3% hiring rate and $42,640 average salary. Other less-than-ideal options include San Diego (1.9% and $52,663) and Portland, Oregon (1.8% and $53,823).
If you’re looking for a specific city that you didn’t see featured at the bottom or the top, you can check out the full study on ADP’s website.