Best Cities for 2011 College Graduates

What are the best cities for 2011 college graduates to live and work?

New college graduates face a career path that will include a number of stops. Studies show that the average worker in his or her twenties will switch jobs every year in the first years of their career. While 2011 college graduates will be more mobile than previous classes, continuing a decades-long trend, the city where they start their career can heavily influence their lifetime earnings.

The early years of a college graduate's career provide the income base that will set up their finances later in life. So, first jobs are critical. The city where a college graduate chooses to start their career is important as well. Where are the best opportunities in 2011 - including companies poised to hire, a concentration of similar industries, and the vibrant social life critical to the contentment of new college graduates?

Austin, TX

College towns are among the best cities for 2011 graduates to settle in. Research and technical companies tend to locate nearby to take advantage of the skilled labor force. Their heavy percentage of young, highly-educated people makes it easier for a college graduate to build a critical professional network of contacts. Maybe the ultimate college town, Austin makes the list of best cities for 2011 college graduates for a number of reasons. Sure, the social life is fantastic - a liberal island in deeply conservative Texas, whose unofficial motto is "Keep Austin Weird." But Austin is also the home of such a wide range of high tech companies that it rivals Northern California, and has earned the nickname of "Silicon Hills" as a result.

Washington, DC

Despite calls for smaller government, and the economic realities of the post-recession era, the nation's capital remains one of the best cities for 2011 college graduates to live and work. There's the constant availability of a range of governmental and administrative jobs, abundant opportunities in the legal field, and a growing high tech corridor in the suburban area around Dulles Airport. The recent economic crisis has also opened up a wide range of career possibilities in the areas of finance and banking, as government regulation of these industries expands. In fact, Careercast.com recently rated Washington as the top city in the entire country in which to land a new job.

Raleigh-Durham, NC

Beyond the presence of universities such as Duke and North Carolina, these two make the list of best cities for 2011 college graduates because of their proximity to the state's famed Research Triangle. This is the destination of choice for many 2011 college graduates looking for a career in medicine. An $800 million expansion of the Duke University medical center, for instance, will result in thousands of new jobs. In addition, the relatively low cost of living in the mid-south region makes for an easier transition to independence for recent college graduates who may be financially responsible for themselves for the first time.

Boston, MA

Boston is both a college town and a big city, and offers the best of both to 2011 college graduates. Like Durham, it's a hub for medical research and care. Unlike Durham, it has a high cost of living. But starting salaries are higher as well, making up much of the difference. Boston's financial services and insurance industries continue to grow, with companies like State Street and Liberty Mutual headquartered there . Plus, the large number of colleges and universities are also major employers in their own right.