NextChapter

Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Northeast

United is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Northeast, with a score of 67 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 United, PA: 67 / 100
  • #2 Pittsburgh, PA: 66 / 100
  • #3 New York, NY: 65 / 100
  • 26 cities ranked in the Northeast
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1United PA67 / 100
  2. 2Pittsburgh PA66 / 100
  3. 3New York NY65 / 100
  4. 4Quincy MA64 / 100
  5. 5Harrisburg PA63 / 100
  6. 6Syracuse NY58 / 100
  7. 7Boston MA56 / 100
  8. 8Waltham MA56 / 100
  9. 9Brooklyn NY54 / 100
  10. 10Buffalo NY51 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: United leads on 67 / 100, and #10 Buffalo is at 51 / 100.
  • Quincy reaches #4 on a sample of 169 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

    United PA

    67 / 100

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

    Based on 234 openings.

  2. 2

    Pittsburgh PA

    66 / 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

  3. 3

    New York NY

    65 / 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

  4. 4

    Quincy MA

    64 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $152k
    Entry-level openings
    49

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Anduril, J.Jill

    Based on 169 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Quincy

  5. 5

    Harrisburg PA

    63 / 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

  6. 6

    Syracuse NY

    58 / 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

  7. 7

    Boston MA

    56 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    18%
    Pay after cost of living
    $157k
    Entry-level openings
    943

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Confidential, Takeda Development Center Americas

    Based on 5,338 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  8. 8

    Waltham MA

    56 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    20%
    Pay after cost of living
    $182k
    Entry-level openings
    124

    Hiring most here: Boston Dynamics, Anduril Industries, Xometry

    Based on 634 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Waltham

  9. 9

    Brooklyn NY

    54 / 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

  10. 10

    Buffalo NY

    51 / 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

  11. 11

    Somerville MA

    51 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    21%
    Pay after cost of living
    $155k
    Entry-level openings
    73

    Hiring most here: Formlabs, Tulip Interfaces, Generate Biomedicines

    Based on 354 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Somerville

  12. 12

    Philadelphia PA

    50 / 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

  13. 13

    Rochester NY

    50 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    30%
    Pay after cost of living
    $94k
    Entry-level openings
    160

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund, Rochester Institute of Technology

    Based on 537 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rochester

  14. 14

    White Plains NY

    48 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    30%
    Pay after cost of living
    $122k
    Entry-level openings
    68

    Hiring most here: New York Power Authority, FormativGroup, RWE Clean Energy

    Based on 229 openings.

    Jobs and employers in White Plains

  15. 15

    Cambridge MA

    48 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    13%
    Pay after cost of living
    $187k
    Entry-level openings
    151

    Hiring most here: Harvard University, Biogen, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

    Based on 1,204 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cambridge

  16. 16

    Albany NY

    47 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $110k
    Entry-level openings
    116

    Hiring most here: KPMG, New York State, Broadview Credit Union

    Based on 397 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Albany

  17. 17

    Lexington MA

    47 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    21%
    Pay after cost of living
    $162k
    Entry-level openings
    53

    Hiring most here: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Lincoln Lab), Takeda Development Center Americas, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International

    Based on 253 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Lexington

  18. 18

    Princeton NJ

    42 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    17%
    Pay after cost of living
    $176k
    Entry-level openings
    74

    Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates

    Based on 439 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Princeton

  19. 19

    Hartford CT

    42 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    26%
    Pay after cost of living
    $130k
    Entry-level openings
    96

    Hiring most here: CVS HEALTH, Hartford HealthCare, Eversource Energy

    Based on 366 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Hartford

  20. 20

    Stamford CT

    42 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    24%
    Pay after cost of living
    $140k
    Entry-level openings
    82

    Hiring most here: Philip Morris International, Gartner, Charter Communications

    Based on 336 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Stamford

  21. 21

    Parsippany NJ

    41 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    25%
    Pay after cost of living
    $135k
    Entry-level openings
    68

    Hiring most here: Langan, Clark Davis Associates, Ferrero North America

    Based on 274 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Parsippany

  22. 22

    Woburn MA

    41 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $121k
    Entry-level openings
    48

    Hiring most here: RTX, Spear Bio, VEIR

    Based on 180 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Woburn

  23. 23

    Watertown MA

    40 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    16%
    Pay after cost of living
    $193k
    Entry-level openings
    23

    Hiring most here: Tutor Intelligence, Kymera Therapeutics, Treeline Biosciences

    Based on 146 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Watertown

  24. 24

    Newark NJ

    39 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    24%
    Pay after cost of living
    $127k
    Entry-level openings
    110

    Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible

    Based on 455 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newark

  25. 25

    Jersey City NJ

    36 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    19%
    Pay after cost of living
    $149k
    Entry-level openings
    130

    Hiring most here: DTCC, JPMorgan Chase, Verisk Analytics

    Based on 679 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jersey City

Full ranking

All 26 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1United PA67 / 100234
2Pittsburgh PA66 / 1001,592
3New York NY65 / 10022,145
4Quincy MA64 / 100169
5Harrisburg PA63 / 100300
6Syracuse NY58 / 100419
7Boston MA56 / 1005,338
8Waltham MA56 / 100634
9Brooklyn NY54 / 100693
10Buffalo NY51 / 100461
11Somerville MA51 / 100354
12Philadelphia PA50 / 1001,960
13Rochester NY50 / 100537
14White Plains NY48 / 100229
15Cambridge MA48 / 1001,204
16Albany NY47 / 100397
17Lexington MA47 / 100253
18Princeton NJ42 / 100439
19Hartford CT42 / 100366
20Stamford CT42 / 100336
21Parsippany NJ41 / 100274
22Woburn MA41 / 100180
23Watertown MA40 / 100146
24Newark NJ39 / 100455
25Jersey City NJ36 / 100679
26Burlington MA34 / 100227

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 northeast?
United is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Northeast, with a score of 67 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
26 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 26 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 Northeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-northeast

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

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

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