NextChapter

Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mid-Atlantic

Alexandria is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Mid-Atlantic, with a score of 69 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Alexandria, VA: 69 / 100
  • #2 Annapolis, MD: 68 / 100
  • #3 Pittsburgh, PA: 65 / 100
  • 37 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Alexandria VA69 / 100
  2. 2Annapolis MD68 / 100
  3. 3Pittsburgh PA65 / 100
  4. 4United PA65 / 100
  5. 5Arlington VA64 / 100
  6. 6Mc Lean VA64 / 100
  7. 7New York NY64 / 100
  8. 8Manassas VA63 / 100
  9. 9Washington DC59 / 100
  10. 10Richmond VA58 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Alexandria leads on 69 / 100, and #10 Richmond is at 58 / 100.
  • United reaches #4 on a sample of 234 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 22,145 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

New graduates need a place with many entry-level roles, pay that covers the cost of living and employers that state their pay. This list weighs those together and shows the weights, so it ranks the all-round picture rather than one number.

How to use it

Start with the top ten and read each city's numbers against what you value most. If one thing matters most to you, such as pay, switch to the single-measure list for it.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Alexandria VA

    69 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    32%
    Pay after cost of living
    $139k
    Entry-level openings
    196

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 618 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  2. 2

    Annapolis MD

    68 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    42%
    Pay after cost of living
    $124k
    Entry-level openings
    164

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Luminis Health, TEKsystems

    Based on 391 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Annapolis

  3. 3

    Pittsburgh PA

    65 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    33%
    Pay after cost of living
    $138k
    Entry-level openings
    530

    Hiring most here: PNC Financial Services Group, Highmark Health, UPMC

    Based on 1,592 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pittsburgh

  4. 4

    United PA

    65 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    34%
    Pay after cost of living
    $138k
    Entry-level openings
    79

    Based on 234 openings.

  5. 5

    Arlington VA

    64 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $146k
    Entry-level openings
    558

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 2,079 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  6. 6

    Mc Lean VA

    64 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    30%
    Pay after cost of living
    $161k
    Entry-level openings
    72

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 242 openings.

  7. 7

    New York NY

    64 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    22%
    Pay after cost of living
    $150k
    Entry-level openings
    4,952

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 22,145 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  8. 8

    Manassas VA

    63 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    36%
    Pay after cost of living
    $137k
    Entry-level openings
    86

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 236 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Manassas

  9. 9

    Washington DC

    59 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    21%
    Pay after cost of living
    $149k
    Entry-level openings
    983

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Confidential, Shield AI

    Based on 4,748 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  10. 10

    Richmond VA

    58 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $103k
    Entry-level openings
    418

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 1,209 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  11. 11

    Herndon VA

    58 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    26%
    Pay after cost of living
    $161k
    Entry-level openings
    218

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 849 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  12. 12

    Harrisburg PA

    58 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    31%
    Pay after cost of living
    $143k
    Entry-level openings
    94

    Hiring most here: GSK, Michels, Parsons

    Based on 300 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Harrisburg

  13. 13

    Vienna VA

    57 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    33%
    Pay after cost of living
    $131k
    Entry-level openings
    56

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 171 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  14. 14

    Norfolk VA

    55 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    39%
    Pay after cost of living
    $103k
    Entry-level openings
    133

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

    Based on 342 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  15. 15

    Fort Meade MD

    54 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    28%
    Pay after cost of living
    $142k
    Entry-level openings
    77

    Hiring most here: Peraton, CACI International, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 275 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Meade

  16. 16

    Virginia Beach VA

    54 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    44%
    Pay after cost of living
    $93k
    Entry-level openings
    122

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Amazon, Commander, Navy Installations Command

    Based on 275 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Virginia Beach

  17. 17

    Chantilly VA

    54 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $192k
    Entry-level openings
    147

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 553 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  18. 18

    Rockville MD

    54 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $143k
    Entry-level openings
    103

    Hiring most here: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, The Emmes Company, BAE Systems

    Based on 383 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rockville

  19. 19

    Syracuse NY

    52 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    34%
    Pay after cost of living
    $111k
    Entry-level openings
    143

    Hiring most here: Upstate Medical University, Hidden Level, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 419 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Syracuse

  20. 20

    Fort Belvoir VA

    51 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $134k
    Entry-level openings
    58

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Peraton, Teksynap

    Based on 197 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  21. 21

    Brooklyn NY

    48 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $126k
    Entry-level openings
    186

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Etsy

    Based on 693 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  22. 22

    Buffalo NY

    48 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $119k
    Entry-level openings
    133

    Hiring most here: Moog Military Aircraft, M&T Bank, Moog

    Based on 461 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Buffalo

  23. 23

    McLean VA

    47 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    19%
    Pay after cost of living
    $158k
    Entry-level openings
    228

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 1,182 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  24. 24

    Reston VA

    45 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    20%
    Pay after cost of living
    $158k
    Entry-level openings
    163

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 828 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  25. 25

    Philadelphia PA

    44 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    25%
    Pay after cost of living
    $132k
    Entry-level openings
    497

    Hiring most here: Confidential, GSK, Comcast

    Based on 1,960 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Philadelphia

Full ranking

All 37 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Alexandria VA69 / 100618
2Annapolis MD68 / 100391
3Pittsburgh PA65 / 1001,592
4United PA65 / 100234
5Arlington VA64 / 1002,079
6Mc Lean VA64 / 100242
7New York NY64 / 10022,145
8Manassas VA63 / 100236
9Washington DC59 / 1004,748
10Richmond VA58 / 1001,209
11Herndon VA58 / 100849
12Harrisburg PA58 / 100300
13Vienna VA57 / 100171
14Norfolk VA55 / 100342
15Fort Meade MD54 / 100275
16Virginia Beach VA54 / 100275
17Chantilly VA54 / 100553
18Rockville MD54 / 100383
19Syracuse NY52 / 100419
20Fort Belvoir VA51 / 100197
21Brooklyn NY48 / 100693
22Buffalo NY48 / 100461
23McLean VA47 / 1001,182
24Reston VA45 / 100828
25Philadelphia PA44 / 1001,960
26Rochester NY43 / 100537
27White Plains NY43 / 100229
28Albany NY42 / 100397
29Princeton NJ41 / 100439
30Wilmington DE38 / 100507
31Baltimore MD37 / 1001,158
32Parsippany NJ37 / 100274
33Bethesda MD35 / 100470
34Tysons VA35 / 100191
35Newark NJ34 / 100455
36Jersey City NJ33 / 100679
37Springfield VA14 / 100277

How this ranking works

A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): entry-level share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 25%, entry-level openings 20%, openings with pay posted 15%.

A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.

Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.

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.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles and posted pay; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024. 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 all-round cities for new graduates in the mid-atlantic?
Alexandria is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Mid-Atlantic, with a score of 69 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
37 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 37 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): entry-level share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 25%, entry-level openings 20%, openings with pay posted 15%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. 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.
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 all-round cities for new graduates in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-mid-atlantic

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-mid-atlantic">Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mid-Atlantic (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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

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