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The 10 best college towns to kickstart your career

For college students, the long summer vacation is coming to an end. Many students and graduates are beginning to think about their future career goals. Students across the country often use the long period off of college to line up internships, with the aim of shaping their career interests, broadening their skill sets, and helping them network and develop professional goals. At Adzuna, we‘ve taken a look at the internships and part-time jobs on offer in the top 10 college towns with the highest college student populations.  

 

New York, NY

Number of college students: 1,050,800

New York has the highest number of college students in the US, but does it have the career opportunities to match? The city has a huge 13,205 part-time vacancies available, on top of 4,925 open internships. IT (1,027), Healthcare & Nursing (743), and Accounting & Finance (583) are the top hiring sectors in the city for internships. For students looking for a part-time role, Healthcare & Nursing (1,732), Hospitality & Catering (1,211), and Retail (824) are the top hiring sectors. 

Home to an Ivy League College, Columbia, as well as several prestigious colleges, such as NYU, it isn’t too surprising that the city is filled with opportunities for college students. New York was also recently named the best city to start a career. With companies such as PwC and BerlinRosin currently hiring in the city, it is a great place to stay even after college. 

Looking for a role at college? Check out roles in the Big Apple here.

 

Washington, DC

Number of college students: 422,000

The capital doesn’t just provide great opportunities for politicians, but also college students. Washington currently has 8,360 part-time roles on offer, as well as 3,028 internships. IT (510), Accounting & Finance (279), and Healthcare & Nursing (250) are the top hiring sectors for internships in the city. Healthcare & Nursing (2,021), Hospitality & Catering (1,046), and Teaching (495) currently have the highest number of part-time roles in the capital. 

Washington DC has been named as one of the best cities for networking, making it the perfect place for college students to kick start their careers. There are currently opportunities at TD Bank and APCO WorldWide, which will help students to broaden their knowledge and connections. 

Want to live alongside the country’s most influential people? Check out jobs in Washington, DC

 

Boston, MA

Number of college students: 364,700

Home to Harvard and MIT, Boston is a popular city with students. It’s considered a world leader in higher education, but does Boston have good job opportunities for students? In short, yes, Boston is a great place to kickstart your career. The city currently has 8,239 part-time roles available for those wishing to work alongside their studies. Top hiring sectors for part-time work include Healthcare & Nursing (2,021), Hospitality & Catering (1,046), and Teaching (495). For students wishing to complete an internship, there are 3,199 internships currently available, with IT (510), Healthcare & Nursing (417), and Accounting & Finance (335) being the top hiring sectors. 

Boston has been ranked as the top student city in the US and the 11th best city in the world. In the rankings, Boston has a strong score for employer activity, making it a promising city for college students. Companies such as Deloitte and General Electric are currently looking for interns in the city, which will look great on a student’s resume. 

Looking for a job in Boston? Check out available roles. 

 

Philadelphia, PA

Number of college students: 357,300

Philadelphia is home to the Ivy League The University of Pennsylvania (Penn), meaning that there is a huge student population in the city. Fortunately, Philadelphia has the jobs to match, with 1,303 internships available, ranging from Healthcare & Nursing (249) to Accounting & Finance (149). The city is also filled with part-time opportunities, with 7,667 roles currently available. These can be particularly found in Healthcare & Nursing (3,058), Hospitality & Catering (706), and Retail (289). 

The city is a great place to start a career as it is home to the headquarters of five Fortune 1,000 companies, meaning that Philadelphia has a lot of influence on the corporate world. 

Wanting to relocate to Philadelphia? Why not explore available jobs here?

 

Miami, FL

Number of college students: 331,900

Located in the Sunshine State, Miami is a popular choice among students. Students in Miami have a range of career opportunities, with 6,264 part-time jobs currently available. In Miami, part-time jobs are most commonly available in Customer Services (823), Hospitality & Catering (773), and Healthcare & Nursing (662). There are also 1,165 internships currently available in the city, which are particularly found in IT (200), Accounting & Finance (160), and Engineering (97). 

Miami has been named the second richest city in the US, with several big brands headquartered in and around the metropolis. As a result, students have plenty of opportunities to work with influential companies right at the start of their careers. 

If you want to soak up the sun, check out roles in Miami.

 

State College, PA

Number of college students: 98,783

Home to part of Penn State University, State College is a student favorite. Despite the student population, State College doesn’t have a huge number of jobs available right now. Currently, there are just 203 internships, with roles in Engineering (32), Admin (24), and HR & Recruitment (21). State College has 1,348 part-time jobs currently available. These roles are most common in Healthcare & Nursing (267), HR & Recruitment (54), and Hospitality & Catering (53). Due to the significantly higher number of part-time jobs, students in State College could focus their job seeking efforts on these types of roles instead of internships. 

Penn State University is the largest employer in the area, with jobs in the government also proving a popular choice. 

Looking for a role in State College? Check out available vacancies.

 

Berkeley, CA

Number of college students: 2,703

Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley, which is the 7th best college globally. Students in Berkeley have plenty of choices when it comes to employment, with 565 internships available. The internships are popular among employers in Healthcare & Nursing (214), Engineering (51), and IT (44). On top of this, there are 2,703 part-time roles available, which can be found in Healthcare & Nursing (934), Travel (313), and Hospitality & Catering (161). California is also the best place for graduates to live, meaning that Berkeley could be a good option for students and grads alike. 

Student in Berkeley? Why not check out roles in Berkeley

 

Ann Arbor, MI

Number of college students: 32,282

Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor has a pretty big student population. The city also has employment opportunities to match, including 1,348 part-time jobs. These jobs are commonly found in Healthcare & Nursing (267), HR & Recruitment (54), and Hospitality & Catering (53). There are also a good number of internships available, with 320 currently advertised across IT (80), Accounting & Finance (35), and Healthcare & Nursing (33). 

Although the University of Michigan is the city’s biggest employer, Ann Arbor is also home to other large employers, including Arbor Networks and ProQuest. 

Check out roles in Ann Arbor.

 

Ithaca, NY

Number of college students: 30,982

Ithaca is popular among students due to Cornell being located in the city. However, Ithaca doesn’t have a huge range of employment opportunities for the students of the Ivy League college. There are currently just 47 internships available in the city, ranging from Healthcare & Nursing (10) to Admin (7). There are slightly more part-time roles available, with 293 currently advertised in the city. For those wishing to work alongside their studies, the best sectors to explore are Healthcare & Nursing (67), Retail (59), and Hospitality & Catering (13).

It isn’t too surprising that Hospitality & Catering is a top employing sector in Ithaca as the city has more restaurants per capita than New York City! 

If you’re looking for a job in Ithaca, check out our website!

 

Chapel Hill, NC

Number of college students: 1,023

Chapel Hill is also a hotspot for students. The number of part-time roles is relatively high, with 1,023 part-time roles, particularly found in Hospitality & Catering (156), Healthcare & Nursing (13), and Retail (120). There are also a good number of internships available, with 236 available right now. The biggest hiring sectors for internships are Healthcare & Nursing (68), Scientific & QA (44), and Engineering (17). 

Why not check out roles in Chapel Hill?

 

 

Table 1: The Top College Towns Internship Opportunities

College TownNumber of College StudentsNumber of Internship VacanciesTop Hiring Sectors and # of Vacancies
New York, NY1,050,8004,925IT Jobs (1,027)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (743)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (582)
PR, Advertising & Marketing Jobs (258)
Boston, MA3647003,199IT Jobs (666)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (417)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (335)
Admin Jobs (208)
Washington, DC422,0003,028IT Jobs (510)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (279)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (250)
Teaching Jobs (220)
Philadelphia, PA357,3001,303Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (249)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (149)
IT Jobs (132)
Engineering Jobs (96)
Miami, FL331,9001,165IT Jobs (200)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (160)
Engineering Jobs (97)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (92)
Berkeley, CA45,057565Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (214)
Engineering Jobs (51)
IT Jobs (44)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (43)
Ann Arbor, MI32,282320IT Jobs (80)
Accounting & Finance Jobs (35)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (33)
Engineering Jobs (30)
Chapel Hill20,641236Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (68)
Scientific & QA Jobs (44)
Engineering Jobs (17)
IT Jobs (14)
State College, PA98,783203Engineering Jobs (32)
Admin Jobs (24)
HR & Recruitment Jobs (21)
IT Jobs (19)
Ithaca, NY30,98247Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (10)
Admin Jobs (7)
Engineering Jobs (6)
Logistics & Warehouse Jobs (5)

 

 

Table 2: The Top College Towns Part-Time Opportunities

College TownNumber of College StudentsNumber of Part-Time VacanciesTop Hiring Sectors and # of Vacancies
New York, NY1,050,80013,205Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (1,732)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (1,211)
Retail Jobs (824)
Teaching Jobs (707)
Washington, DC422,0008,360Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (2,021)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (1,046)
Teaching Jobs (495)
IT Jobs (456)
Boston, MA364,7008,239Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (1,502)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (857)
Travel Jobs (579)
Teaching Jobs (555)
Philadelphia, PA357,3007,667Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (3,058)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (706)
Retail Jobs (289)
Teaching Jobs (240)
Miami, FL331,9006,264Customer Services Jobs (823)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (773)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (662)
Retail Jobs (461)
Berkeley, CA45,0572,703Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (934)
Travel Jobs (313)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (161)
Retail Jobs (131)
State College, PA98,7831,348Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (267)
HR & Recruitment Jobs (54)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (53)
Admin Jobs (51)
Ann Arbor, MI32,2821,248Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (184)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (151)
Teaching Jobs (117)
Admin Jobs (83)
Chapel Hill20,6411,023Hospitality & Catering Jobs (156)
Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (131)
Retail Jobs (120)
Logistics & Warehouse Jobs (56)
Ithaca, NY30,982293Healthcare & Nursing Jobs (67)
Retail Jobs (59)
Hospitality & Catering Jobs (13)
Social work Jobs (13)

 

Employers are desperately looking for students to join their companies to fill talent shortages. Internships and part-time jobs are mutually beneficial to both the company and the student. These types of employment provide students with knowledge, contacts, and skills. Companies benefit from the cheaper and more readily available talent that college students often provide. Employers also gain a fresh perspective from students, which will of course benefit the company. Students should be open to internships and part-time work to kickstart their careers.

 

Want to find a job that suits your major or explore other career paths? Make sure to check out our latest job postings. If you want to know how much you should be earning, why not check out our ValueMyResume tool?


? Read more: 10 of the highest paying college majors (that don’t involve math or science)