As summer vacation winds down, the newest crop of college freshman are preparing for their first year in a new place.
If they - or their parents - are wondering what to expect, they can look to a ranking of college towns in Americas from the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).
AIER compiled its list using nine economic, demographic, and quality-of-life factors. It defines college towns as those which are home to a college or university and have fewer than 250,000 residents.
Aside from the overall ranking, AIER scored each city on nine metrics including rent, earnings, and bars and restaurants. Below, we've highlighted the metric for which each city scored highest.
Scroll through to find out the 20 best college towns.