NextChapter

Best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs

Lansing leads the United States for junior jobs: 49% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 28% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Lansing, MI: 49%
  • #2 Virginia Beach, VA: 47%
  • #3 Lincoln, NE: 45%
  • 100 cities ranked in the United States
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 28% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Lansing MI49%
  2. 2Virginia Beach VA47%
  3. 3Lincoln NE45%
  4. 4Tallahassee FL45%
  5. 5Annapolis MD44%
  6. 6Sioux Falls SD42%
  7. 7Springfield IL42%
  8. 8Baton Rouge LA41%
  9. 9Little Rock AR41%
  10. 10Charlottesville VA41%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Lansing leads on 49%, and #10 Charlottesville is at 41%.
  • Tallahassee is the largest market in the top ten, with 759 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 200 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Entry-level hiring is concentrated in some metro areas and thin in others. The share of openings pitched at entry or early-career level shows where a first or second job is easiest to find.

How to use it

If you are early in your career, start your search in the places near the top and read their employer lists. Places lower down can still have entry roles, but they make up a smaller part of what is open.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Lansing MI

    49%

    Entry-level openings
    103
    All openings
    212
    Openings with pay posted
    11%

    Hiring most here: University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, Auto-Owners Insurance, Sparrow Clinton Hospital

    Based on 212 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lansing

  2. 2

    Virginia Beach VA

    47%

    Entry-level openings
    122
    All openings
    260
    Openings with pay posted
    18%

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Sentara Health, Amazon

    Based on 260 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Virginia Beach

  3. 3

    Lincoln NE

    45%

    Entry-level openings
    92
    All openings
    204
    Openings with pay posted
    14%

    Hiring most here: Nelnet Servicing, General Dynamics OTS, Hudl

    Based on 204 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lincoln

  4. 4

    Tallahassee FL

    45%

    Entry-level openings
    342
    All openings
    759
    Openings with pay posted
    11%

    Hiring most here: State of Florida, L3HARRIS Technologies, Florida

    Based on 759 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tallahassee

  5. 5

    Annapolis MD

    44%

    Entry-level openings
    164
    All openings
    377
    Openings with pay posted
    25%

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Luminis Health, TEKsystems

    Based on 377 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Annapolis

  6. 6

    Sioux Falls SD

    42%

    Entry-level openings
    84
    All openings
    201
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Sioux Center Health, Marshfield Clinic, Trinzic

    Based on 201 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sioux Falls

  7. 7

    Springfield IL

    42%

    Entry-level openings
    118
    All openings
    283
    Openings with pay posted
    28%

    Hiring most here: State of Illinois, Army National Guard Units, Hshs Medical Group

    Based on 283 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  8. 8

    Baton Rouge LA

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    114
    All openings
    275
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, ST Catherines Village, EisnerAmper

    Based on 275 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Baton Rouge

  9. 9

    Little Rock AR

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    111
    All openings
    269
    Openings with pay posted
    10%

    Hiring most here: Arkansas Children's, State of Arkansas, Bank OZK

    Based on 269 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Little Rock

  10. 10

    Charlottesville VA

    41%

    Entry-level openings
    206
    All openings
    504
    Openings with pay posted
    5%

    Hiring most here: UVA Health, University of Virginia, University of Virginia-Main Campus

    Based on 504 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlottesville

  11. 11

    Akron OH

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    124
    All openings
    308
    Openings with pay posted
    10%

    Hiring most here: FirstEnergy Akron, Babcock International Group PLC/ADR, Akron Childrens Hospital

    Based on 308 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Akron

  12. 12

    Norfolk VA

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    133
    All openings
    332
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: Commonwealth of Virginia, Seacorp, United States Fleet Forces Command

    Based on 332 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  13. 13

    Albuquerque NM

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    145
    All openings
    363
    Openings with pay posted
    6%

    Hiring most here: University of New Mexico-Main Campus, Rocket Lab, Kairos Power

    Based on 363 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Albuquerque

  14. 14

    Cincinnati OH

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    549
    All openings
    1,379
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Medpace Holdings, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Procter & Gamble

    Based on 1,379 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cincinnati

  15. 15

    Knoxville TN

    40%

    Entry-level openings
    177
    All openings
    446
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: University of Tennessee, University of Tennessee System, Covenant Health (Tennessee)

    Based on 446 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Knoxville

  16. 16

    Greenville SC

    39%

    Entry-level openings
    124
    All openings
    317
    Openings with pay posted
    8%

    Hiring most here: Vertiv Holdings, United Community Banks, Ogletree Deakins

    Based on 317 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Greenville

  17. 17

    St. Louis MO

    39%

    Entry-level openings
    209
    All openings
    537
    Openings with pay posted
    20%

    Hiring most here: Stifel Charitable, BJC HealthCare, Kforce

    Based on 537 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Louis

  18. 18

    Madison WI

    39%

    Entry-level openings
    196
    All openings
    508
    Openings with pay posted
    8%

    Hiring most here: Universities of Wisconsin [UW_Madison], Creative Financial Staffing, Catalent Pharma Solutions

    Based on 508 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Madison

  19. 19

    Boca Raton FL

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    132
    All openings
    344
    Openings with pay posted
    15%

    Hiring most here: Compass, Baptist Health South Florida, SBA Communications

    Based on 344 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boca Raton

  20. 20

    King of Prussia PA

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    126
    All openings
    334
    Openings with pay posted
    10%

    Hiring most here: Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin Services, Lockheed Martin

    Based on 334 openings.

    Jobs and employers in King of Prussia

  21. 21

    Fairfax VA

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    151
    All openings
    406
    Openings with pay posted
    8%

    Hiring most here: George Mason University, Dewberry, Inova Health

    Based on 406 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fairfax

  22. 22

    Grand Rapids MI

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    157
    All openings
    424
    Openings with pay posted
    5%

    Hiring most here: Corewell Health, Acrisure, BDO USA

    Based on 424 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Grand Rapids

  23. 23

    Augusta GA

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    74
    All openings
    200
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Inscripta, Veterans Health Administration

    Based on 200 openings.

  24. 24

    Troy MI

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    92
    All openings
    249
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: Aptiv, Publicis Groupe, Flagstar Bank, National Association

    Based on 249 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Troy

  25. 25

    Cleveland OH

    37%

    Entry-level openings
    329
    All openings
    891
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, Sherwin Williams, KeyBank

    Based on 891 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cleveland

Full ranking

All 100 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Lansing MI49%212
2Virginia Beach VA47%260
3Lincoln NE45%204
4Tallahassee FL45%759
5Annapolis MD44%377
6Sioux Falls SD42%201
7Springfield IL42%283
8Baton Rouge LA41%275
9Little Rock AR41%269
10Charlottesville VA41%504
11Akron OH40%308
12Norfolk VA40%332
13Albuquerque NM40%363
14Cincinnati OH40%1,379
15Knoxville TN40%446
16Greenville SC39%317
17St. Louis MO39%537
18Madison WI39%508
19Boca Raton FL38%344
20King of Prussia PA38%334
21Fairfax VA37%406
22Grand Rapids MI37%424
23Augusta GA37%200
24Troy MI37%249
25Cleveland OH37%891
26Columbus OH36%1,892
27Columbia SC36%317
28San Antonio TX36%1,282
29Richmond VA36%1,136
30Arlington TX36%200
31Harrisburg PA36%265
32Syracuse NY36%400
33Marietta GA36%269
34Mundelein IL36%247
35Greensboro NC36%439
36Fort Lauderdale FL35%572
37Raleigh NC35%1,427
38Pittsburgh PA35%1,514
39Jacksonville FL35%1,071
40Boise ID35%360
41Redmond WA35%1,147
42Tampa FL35%1,738
43Birmingham AL35%585
44Tempe AZ35%672
45Wichita KS34%229
46Louisville KY34%2,065
47Dayton OH34%432
48Tulsa OK34%473
49Las Vegas NV33%932
50Sacramento CA33%1,364
51Chandler AZ33%459
52Santa Ana CA33%258
53Scottsdale AZ33%758
54El Paso TX33%307
55Milwaukee WI33%827
56New Haven CT33%285
57Charleston SC32%309
58Chattanooga TN32%204
59Long Beach CA32%840
60Buffalo NY32%416
61Lexington KY32%221
62Reno NV32%296
63Charlotte NC32%3,198
64Fort Worth TX32%1,267
65Fort Wayne IN32%276
66Omaha NE32%545
67Detroit MI32%734
68Albany NY31%366
69Orlando FL31%1,272
70Bloomington MN31%202
71Rochester NY31%518
72White Plains NY31%222
73Allentown PA31%211
74Indianapolis IN31%1,422
75Honolulu HI31%381
76Phoenix AZ31%2,749
77New Orleans LA30%374
78Grand Prairie TX30%201
79Overland Park KS30%446
80Aurora CO30%335
81Littleton CO30%281
82Portland OR29%792
83Miami FL29%2,344
84Lehi UT29%255
85Rockville MD29%355
86Houston TX29%4,330
87Pasadena CA29%260
88Memphis TN29%712
89Coral Gables FL29%254
90Hartford CT29%350
91Tucson AZ28%680
92Providence RI28%202
93Boulder CO28%423
94Arlington VA28%1,989
95Colorado Springs CO28%692
96Atlanta GA27%5,566
97Philadelphia PA27%1,820
98Baltimore MD27%1,066
99Brooklyn NY27%680
100Cedar Rapids IA27%350

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text.

Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Only cities that have a college or university in the Department of Education directory are ranked.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 200 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs?
Lansing leads the United States for junior jobs: 49% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 28% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
100 cities have at least 200 openings, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Only cities that have a college or university in the Department of Education directory are ranked.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-college-towns-for-junior-jobs

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-college-towns-for-junior-jobs">Best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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