Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mountain West
Key facts
- #1 Salt Lake City, UT: 66 / 100
- #2 Boise, ID: 64 / 100
- #3 Aurora, CO: 61 / 100
- 11 cities ranked in the Mountain West
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Salt Lake City UT66 / 100
- 2Boise ID64 / 100
- 3Aurora CO61 / 100
- 4Boulder CO59 / 100
- 5Las Vegas NV52 / 100
- 6Reno NV51 / 100
- 7Denver CO49 / 100
- 8Broomfield CO46 / 100
- 9Westminster CO35 / 100
- 10Colorado Springs CO34 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Salt Lake City (66 / 100) is well clear of Colorado Springs at #10 (34 / 100).
- Denver is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,996 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
Salt Lake City UT
66 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 28%
- Pay after cost of living
- $137k
- Entry-level openings
- 309
Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, iCapital, Harris Health Strategic Fund
Based on 1,102 openings.
- 2
Boise ID
64 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 32%
- Pay after cost of living
- $131k
- Entry-level openings
- 124
Hiring most here: Simplot Company Foundation, Micron, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Based on 391 openings.
- 3
Aurora CO
61 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 29%
- Pay after cost of living
- $139k
- Entry-level openings
- 99
Hiring most here: CACI International, Northrop Grumman, RTX
Based on 347 openings.
- 4
Boulder CO
59 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 26%
- Pay after cost of living
- $144k
- Entry-level openings
- 119
Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Scitec Innovations, Atom Computing
Based on 454 openings.
- 5
Las Vegas NV
52 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 31%
- Pay after cost of living
- $115k
- Entry-level openings
- 308
Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4
Based on 980 openings.
- 6
Reno NV
51 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 31%
- Pay after cost of living
- $132k
- Entry-level openings
- 95
Hiring most here: IGT, Amperesand, Caesars Entertainment
Based on 311 openings.
- 7
Denver CO
49 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 25%
- Pay after cost of living
- $133k
- Entry-level openings
- 760
Hiring most here: True Anomaly, Blue Origin, Amazon
Based on 2,996 openings.
- 8
Broomfield CO
46 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 26%
- Pay after cost of living
- $144k
- Entry-level openings
- 77
Hiring most here: BAE Systems, Crocs, Katalyst Ventures
Based on 294 openings.
- 9
Westminster CO
35 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 22%
- Pay after cost of living
- $143k
- Entry-level openings
- 58
Hiring most here: CesiumAstro, BAE Systems, Loenbro
Based on 264 openings.
- 10
Colorado Springs CO
34 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 27%
- Pay after cost of living
- $116k
- Entry-level openings
- 192
Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Trinzic, Odyssey Systems Consulting
Based on 712 openings.
- 11
Englewood CO
33 / 100
- Entry-level share of openings
- 27%
- Pay after cost of living
- $118k
- Entry-level openings
- 73
Hiring most here: General Atomics, Sargent & Lundy, Lockheed Martin
Based on 266 openings.
Full ranking
All 11 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City UT | 66 / 100 | 1,102 |
| 2 | Boise ID | 64 / 100 | 391 |
| 3 | Aurora CO | 61 / 100 | 347 |
| 4 | Boulder CO | 59 / 100 | 454 |
| 5 | Las Vegas NV | 52 / 100 | 980 |
| 6 | Reno NV | 51 / 100 | 311 |
| 7 | Denver CO | 49 / 100 | 2,996 |
| 8 | Broomfield CO | 46 / 100 | 294 |
| 9 | Westminster CO | 35 / 100 | 264 |
| 10 | Colorado Springs CO | 34 / 100 | 712 |
| 11 | Englewood CO | 33 / 100 | 266 |
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 mountain west?
- Salt Lake City is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Mountain West, with a score of 66 / 100.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 11 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 11 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
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mountain West
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Mountain West
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in the Mountain West
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mountain West
- Best all-round cities for new graduates
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mountain West,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-mountain-west
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-mountain-west">Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mountain West (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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