According to the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), these days the “college experience” is about more than simply attending a top-notch university. The city or town where the school is located is also important. Recent data compiled by the organization ranked the 20 best small cities for college students, with the Albany-Schenectady-Troy region coming in at number 11 on the list.

The AIER College Destinations Index data focused on various metro areas across the country, measuring the informal learning environment. The organization looked into 12 key criteria in four categories that impact the student experience in areas including student life, culture, economic health, and opportunity. According to organization, “The people students meet, the places they go, and the jobs they may hold are essential supplements to formal education.” Data was collected and ranked for college towns with populations under 250,000 residents.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy region received high marks in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the arts. Rensselaer continues to attract students with a special interest in discovery, innovation, and interdisciplinary study. A Rensselaer education is about breaking down boundaries, and joining a learning community where students and faculty members representing diverse academic interests collaborate across disciplines.

In addition, technology transfer and entrepreneurship have long been at the heart of Rensselaer’s core mission “to apply science to the common purposes of life,” through creative discovery, design, invention, and commercialization. Over the past several years, Rensselaer has reaffirmed and updated its academic distinction in technology application by cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem to ignite innovation and spark economic growth throughout the region.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy region received high marks in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the arts. Rensselaer continues to attract students with a special interest in discovery, innovation, and interdisciplinary study. A Rensselaer education is about breaking down boundaries, and joining a learning community where students and faculty members representing diverse academic interests collaborate across disciplines.”

The Institute is keenly aware of its responsibilities to its nearest neighbors and of the power of collaborative approaches to shared goals. President Shirley Ann Jackson underscores the importance of active partnership with the larger community in the term “communiversity”—a vision of the way institutions of higher learning and the cities, towns, and counties that serve as their homes can and should work together to ensure the viability and vibrancy of their shared communities.

A recent PayScale 2014-15 College Salary Report noted that graduates of Rensselaer command some of the highest salaries of any undergraduate degree holders in the nation.

The PayScale report is the latest recognition of the long-held reputation of Rensselaer as one of the nation’s top universities. In August, USA Today ranked Rensselaer as fifth on the list of “Top 10 Engineering Colleges in the United States,” and Forbes ranked Rensselaer as 11th on the list for most entrepreneurial universities. In September, U.S. News & World Report ranked Rensselaer 42 among all universities in the United States.

The recent series of acknowledgements reinforces what the Institute has seen in its most recent admissions cycle: the demand for a Rensselaer education has never been higher.