Wyoming Tops List as Best Bang-for-Buck State for College Grads

For new college grads facing one of the toughest job markets in years, there’s at least one bright spot: Wyoming, Wyoming News Now reports.

A new analysis from Upgraded Points found that the Cowboy State is the most affordable place in the country for recent graduates to live and work. On average, young workers in Wyoming earn nearly $15,000 more than they need to cover basic living expenses — a margin far bigger than the national average of just $2,400.

That affordability edge comes at a time when many grads are questioning the value of a degree. The class of 2025 is stepping into an economy marked by fewer white-collar job openings, AI replacing some entry-level roles, and unemployment levels for young men with college degrees that now match those of peers without one. Add to that rising student debt and housing costs, and the question of where to launch post-college life has never mattered more.

In Wyoming, the math works out in grads’ favor. The typical new graduate earns about $61,770 a year, while it takes only $46,830 to comfortably cover housing, transportation, healthcare, food, and other necessities. That leaves plenty of room for savings or paying down loans — something that’s out of reach for many young workers elsewhere.

Here’s how the numbers stack up in Wyoming:

• Median earnings for recent grads: $61,770
• Estimated cost of living: $46,830
• Earnings gap: +$14,940
• Housing costs: $9,710 (well below the national average of $14,700)
• Food costs: $4,280
• Transportation: $13,730
• Healthcare: $8,010

Compare that to the US as a whole, where grads only clear about $2,410 after covering the basics.

At the city level, Tucson, Arizona, ranked as the most affordable metro for new grads, followed by Milwaukee and Houston. But when it comes to states, Wyoming led the pack, beating out other strong contenders like Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Nevada.

The least affordable states? No surprise — places like California, New York, and Hawaii, where even high starting salaries get eaten alive by housing costs, and parts of the South where wages are so low that grads can’t get ahead even with modest living expenses.

For Wyoming, the findings underscore what locals already know: the state’s wide-open spaces aren’t just easy on the eyes — they’re easier on the wallet too.

Would you like me to also rewrite this as a short social media post highlighting Wyoming’s #1 ranking for grads, with a snappy stat or two?