The Tripod

In a report released earlier this year, Hartford, Conn., was ranked as the third best mid-size city by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) on their annual College Destinations Index (CDI). The index lists the top 75 cities and towns, split into four tiers by size, and takes into account not only their Academic Environment, but their Quality of Life and Professional Opportunity as well.

Hartford scored well in the Academic Environment category, having a particularly high Student Concentration, with 82 college students per capita.

The city ranked second in Degree Attainment, with 41.1 percent of the 24-35 age bracket possessing a bachelor's degree or higher, while its Research Capacity was just above average, coming in at $20 per capita. The lowest ranking Hartford had in Academic Environment was in Student Diversity, with 2.9 percent of the student body made up of international students.

The Quality of Life category also saw Hartford take high rankings. The city scored eighth in Arts and Leisure offerings, comparatively well considering it was outranked mainly by larger cities with bigger entertainment industries such as New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Nashville.

On a similar note, 36 percent of Hartford's residents worked in the Creative Class, the percentage of workers who are employed by creative industries (music, theater, design, education, and arts). The city's Cost of Living was, on average, $1,021 for a month's rent on a two-bedroom apartment, and 3.2 percent of workers over 16 years of age commuted via public transportation, bicycle, or walking.

The last category, Professional Opportunity, focused primarily on economic statistics. Hartford was ranked second in Earning Potential, at $48,330 per year income per capita.

The city's Unemployment Rate was below the 8.3 percent average, calculated at 7.7 percent as of April 2009. As for the city's economic growth, Hartford scored 15.1 in Entrepreneurial Activity, which indicates a net increase in the total number of business establishments per capita.

In the final criterion, Brain Gain or Drain, Hartford scored 1.002, showing an increase from last year in the ratio of area residents who have at least a bachelor's degree.

"The College Destinations Index isn't just for students and their parents," said AIER Research Associate Keming Liang, in a press release. "College administrators can use it to promote their schools, civic planners to tout the desirability of their community, and business leaders to plan their next move. Indeed, the amenities that create great college communities also make these destinations great places to visit, live and even retire."

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