AUSTIN, TX—Texas dominated the list of best big cities for new college graduates, according to a study by onlinedegrees.com, with four cities in the top seven spots and two in the top three. This lines up with last year's list of best states to start a post-college life, which ranked Texas number one. Based on the analysis, the top 10 cities are 1) Austin, TX 2) San Francisco 3) Houston 4) Columbus, OH 5) San Antonio, TX 6) Seattle 7) Dallas 8) Denver 9) San Diego 10) San Jose. The four Texas cities in the top 10—Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas—ranked high for young populations, good earning potential, relatively low cost of living and the quality of life factors. Austin, which finished first overall, scored very well in all of these categories and also had the lowest unemployment of any city in the rankings. Kate Rainey , data editor at onlinedegrees.com, tells GlobeSt.com: “Austin offers young adults a great combination of economic opportunity and a fun lifestyle. In addition to its relatively low unemployment and cost of living, it boasts a youthful population, a growing foodie scene and some of the country's best music festivals.” Using data from sources such as the American Community Survey , the Bureau of Labor Statistics , and the Council for Community and Economic Research , 40 large cities were ranked on eight factors related to the cost of living, the local economy/job prospects and the overall quality of life. The eight key factors include median rent, renter-occupied housing, percent of the population between ages 20 and 34, median earnings, cost of living, arts and entertainment options, state-level job growth and unemployment rate. Despite the state's generally high cost of living, three California cities also finished in the top 10, largely due to job prospects, earning potential and high quality of life. AUSTIN, TX—Texas dominated the list of best big cities for new college graduates, according to a study by onlinedegrees.com, with four cities in the top seven spots and two in the top three. This lines up with last year's list of best states to start a post-college life, which ranked Texas number one. Based on the analysis, the top 10 cities are 1) Austin, TX 2) San Francisco 3) Houston 4) Columbus, OH 5) San Antonio, TX 6) Seattle 7) Dallas 8) Denver 9) San Diego 10) San Jose. The four Texas cities in the top 10—Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas—ranked high for young populations, good earning potential, relatively low cost of living and the quality of life factors. Austin, which finished first overall, scored very well in all of these categories and also had the lowest unemployment of any city in the rankings. Kate Rainey , data editor at onlinedegrees.com, tells GlobeSt.com: “Austin offers young adults a great combination of economic opportunity and a fun lifestyle. In addition to its relatively low unemployment and cost of living, it boasts a youthful population, a growing foodie scene and some of the country's best music festivals.” Using data from sources such as the American Community Survey , the Bureau of Labor Statistics , and the Council for Community and Economic Research , 40 large cities were ranked on eight factors related to the cost of living, the local economy/job prospects and the overall quality of life. The eight key factors include median rent, renter-occupied housing, percent of the population between ages 20 and 34, median earnings, cost of living, arts and entertainment options, state-level job growth and unemployment rate. Despite the state's generally high cost of living, three California cities also finished in the top 10, largely due to job prospects, earning potential and high quality of life.