#5 State College, PA

State College, the home of Pennsylvania State University, offers ample opportunities for professional and educational growth, as it ranked highly in student concentration and research and development opportunities. The State College area earned the nickname the “Happy Valley” because of its economic resilience during the Great Depression. It still thrives economically and socially thanks to the overwhelming influence that Pennsylvania State University has on this proud university town. Not surprisingly, the school is by far the State College area’s largest employer. For the complete rankings click here.

[Photo: Shortlidge Road, State College, PA, Flickr]