LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Not just the college but the college town can make a difference for students, according to a recent survey, and several college towns in Missouri are receiving high marks.

In a WalletHub study published Tuesday, Springfield Columbia St. Charles, St. Louis, and Kansas City placed well, providing a balance of value and opportunities for higher education students.

The survey factored in wallet-friendliness, essentially cost-of-living, against the social environment alongside academic and economic opportunities.

St. Louis was the highest-ranked Missouri town cited in the survey, placing 26, featuring its social environment and academic and economic opportunities making up for a low wallet-friendliness score. Springfield placed 12 with the highest wallet-friendliness score among the Missouri cities.

The survey also ranked college towns by city size.

Columbia scored 53 out of 198 small towns, followed by St. Charles at 57. Springfield was ranked 64 of 150 midsize cities. St. Louis scored 10 out of 66 large cities, followed by Kansas City, Missouri, at 49.

Austin, Texas, had a first-place ranking in the survey, and Flint, Michigan, was at the bottom of the list.