NextChapter

Best college towns for junior jobs in New England

Springfield leads New England for junior jobs: 38% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 23% 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 Springfield, MA: 38%
  • #2 Portland, ME: 36%
  • #3 Andover, MA: 33%
  • 19 cities ranked in New England
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 23% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Springfield MA38%
  2. 2Portland ME36%
  3. 3Andover MA33%
  4. 4New Haven CT33%
  5. 5Manchester NH31%
  6. 6Danbury CT29%
  7. 7Hartford CT29%
  8. 8Worcester MA28%
  9. 9Providence RI28%
  10. 10Stamford CT27%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Springfield leads on 38%, and #10 Stamford is at 27%.
  • Hartford is the largest market in the top ten, with 350 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 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

    Springfield MA

    38%

    Entry-level openings
    42
    All openings
    111
    Openings with pay posted
    15%

    Hiring most here: MassMutual, Kbwfinancial

    Based on 111 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  2. 2

    Portland ME

    36%

    Entry-level openings
    69
    All openings
    190
    Openings with pay posted
    12%

    Hiring most here: Unum Group, BerryDunn, Kbwfinancial

    Based on 190 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Portland

  3. 3

    Andover MA

    33%

    Entry-level openings
    55
    All openings
    167
    Openings with pay posted
    14%

    Hiring most here: RTX, TransMedics Group, Vicor

    Based on 167 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Andover

  4. 4

    New Haven CT

    33%

    Entry-level openings
    93
    All openings
    285
    Openings with pay posted
    8%

    Hiring most here: Yale University, Yale New Haven Health, Knights of Columbus

    Based on 285 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New Haven

  5. 5

    Manchester NH

    31%

    Entry-level openings
    47
    All openings
    151
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Allegro Microsystems, Eversource Energy

    Based on 151 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Manchester

  6. 6

    Danbury CT

    29%

    Entry-level openings
    29
    All openings
    101
    Openings with pay posted
    13%

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, Fuelcell Energy

    Based on 101 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Danbury

  7. 7

    Hartford CT

    29%

    Entry-level openings
    100
    All openings
    350
    Openings with pay posted
    14%

    Hiring most here: CVS HEALTH, Hartford HealthCare, Eversource Energy

    Based on 350 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Hartford

  8. 8

    Worcester MA

    28%

    Entry-level openings
    46
    All openings
    162
    Openings with pay posted
    15%

    Hiring most here: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Umass Memorial Health Care, Milford Regional Medical Center

    Based on 162 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Worcester

  9. 9

    Providence RI

    28%

    Entry-level openings
    57
    All openings
    202
    Openings with pay posted
    14%

    Hiring most here: Gilbane, Women and Infants Hospital, Brown University

    Based on 202 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Providence

  10. 10

    Stamford CT

    27%

    Entry-level openings
    88
    All openings
    331
    Openings with pay posted
    14%

    Hiring most here: Philip Morris International, Gartner, Charter Communications

    Based on 331 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Stamford

  11. 11

    Norwood MA

    26%

    Entry-level openings
    28
    All openings
    109
    Openings with pay posted
    7%

    Hiring most here: Moderna, Home Market Foods, Illinois Tool Works

    Based on 109 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norwood

  12. 12

    Newton MA

    24%

    Entry-level openings
    28
    All openings
    115
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: Panera Brands, Siemens Healthineers, The RMR Group

    Based on 115 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newton

  13. 13

    Framingham MA

    24%

    Entry-level openings
    50
    All openings
    208
    Openings with pay posted
    9%

    Hiring most here: Staples, Bose, TJX Companies

    Based on 208 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Framingham

  14. 14

    Quincy MA

    22%

    Entry-level openings
    58
    All openings
    258
    Openings with pay posted
    31%

    Hiring most here: State Street, Anduril Industries, Anduril

    Based on 258 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Quincy

  15. 15

    Waltham MA

    22%

    Entry-level openings
    126
    All openings
    583
    Openings with pay posted
    30%

    Hiring most here: Boston Dynamics, Anduril Industries, Xometry

    Based on 583 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Waltham

  16. 16

    Boston MA

    19%

    Entry-level openings
    984
    All openings
    5,143
    Openings with pay posted
    26%

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, State Street, Confidential

    Based on 5,143 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  17. 17

    Lowell MA

    18%

    Entry-level openings
    26
    All openings
    142
    Openings with pay posted
    17%

    Hiring most here: Macom, UKG

    Based on 142 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lowell

  18. 18

    Bedford MA

    18%

    Entry-level openings
    35
    All openings
    193
    Openings with pay posted
    21%

    Hiring most here: The MITRE, Stoke Therapeutics, Entegris

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bedford

  19. 19

    Cambridge MA

    13%

    Entry-level openings
    153
    All openings
    1,141
    Openings with pay posted
    26%

    Hiring most here: Harvard University, Biogen, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

    Based on 1,141 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cambridge

Full ranking

All 19 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Springfield MA38%111
2Portland ME36%190
3Andover MA33%167
4New Haven CT33%285
5Manchester NH31%151
6Danbury CT29%101
7Hartford CT29%350
8Worcester MA28%162
9Providence RI28%202
10Stamford CT27%331
11Norwood MA26%109
12Newton MA24%115
13Framingham MA24%208
14Quincy MA22%258
15Waltham MA22%583
16Boston MA19%5,143
17Lowell MA18%142
18Bedford MA18%193
19Cambridge MA13%1,141

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 100 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 junior jobs in new england?
Springfield leads New England for junior jobs: 38% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 23% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
19 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 19 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 junior jobs in New England,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-college-towns-for-junior-jobs-in-new-england

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-college-towns-for-junior-jobs-in-new-england">Best college towns for junior jobs in New England (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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