When it comes to the nation’s college cities, Gainesville is one of the best.
Gainesville was No. 4 in the small cities category of a best college town ranking this year, one spot higher than its previous ranking and six spots ahead of Tallahassee.
The American Institute for Economic Research created the 2012-2013 College Destination Index by gathering data for 12 criteria grouped into three main categories: academic environment, quality of life and professional opportunity. The rankings were announced Tuesday.
Julie Zhu, research analyst for the nonprofit research organization, said after data were collected and normalized, the cities were divided into categories based on population. The top 15 major cities, top 20 mid-size cities, top 20 small cities and top 20 towns were then ranked.
Gainesville, in the small city category with a population of 266,321, was beat by Ann Arbor, Mich.; Madison, Wis.; and Boulder, Colo., according to the index.
City spokesman Bob Woods said factors contributing to Gainesville’s successful rank included quality of life, its prevalent artistic community and the partnership between the business community and UF.
“We think it’s a winning combination,” he said. “Gainesville is, quite frankly, a cultural mecca for the north-central Florida area.”
He said another helpful factor was the stability of the employment base in Gainesville and the fact that the city’s unemployment rate was lower than the state’s. He said officials are continuing to work on improving the city.
“We’re not resting on our laurels,” he said. “We’re continuing to work hard.”
Anna Ellis, an 18-year-old nursing freshman, and Caroline Hament, a 19-year-old exploratory freshman, lounge in a hammock on the Plaza of the Americas on Thursday.
