As college graduation nears, new grads will be making one of their first major life decisions: where to launch their careers.
Just in time for the big move, Bankrate.com is out with new research on best cities to launch a career, and one takeaway could be "go big or go home."
Major metros took the top spots, with New York ranking first, followed by Los Angeles and San Francisco. Interestingly, while New York placed first for career advancement, San Jose took home the top slot for pay potential and Cedar Rapids, Iowa ranked first for job prospects.
Overall, the result are not too surprising and mirror the migration for entry-level workers already.
"Although young grads will be faced with major competition for available jobs in these top cities, the opportunities for career growth and quality of life among peers far exceed what is offered in less competitive job markets," Bankrate.com banking analyst Claes Bell said in a release.
At the bottom of the list were a handful of southern cities. Fayetteville, North Carolina ranked #100, followed by Mobile, Alabama and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas.
To find the best cities, Bankrate analyzed 100 U.S. cities with area populations of above 250,000 and per capita GDP of above $40,000.
Here is the full list of the 10 best cities for launching a career:
1. New York
2. Los Angeles
3. San Francisco
4. Washington, D.C.
5. San Jose
6. Boston
7. Chicago
8. Seattle
9. Dallas
10. Philadelphia