Image courtesy of the University of Utah

This week, the class of 2013 will be graduating from the University of Utah. I hope my friends about to toss their caps realize how lucky they have it. They are, after all, graduating in the number one city for college grads, according to Kiplinger.

In this slideshow, Kiplinger lists Salt Lake City as the best city for young graduates to live and to work. This didn’t come as a surprise to me. Aside from the fact that founder Brigham Young announced, “This is the place,” when the pioneers arrived, SLC has a lot going for it and many of those things can make for an awesome life as a recent college grad.

For starters, Utah has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, standing at 5.1 percent, almost a full three points lower than the national average. While not as low as we would like it (two to three percent is ideal), that means that there are jobs available, especially for those with an education since skilled workers are definitely needed to fill jobs in today’s progressive world.

For example, some of the biggest hiring companies in Salt Lake include the University of Utah and Delta Air Lines. And just south of SLC, the new Adobe campus along with other tech companies staking their claim in the “Silicon Slopes” are on the hunt for prospective employees. Which could easily be those students graduating with computer science or technology degrees (if you can’t decide on a major, there’s a hint right there).

Income for new grads in our capital city isn’t too shabby either. The median salary for recent graduates sits around $41,000 per year, and compared to the average cost of living, recent graduates can live pretty comfortably. To quote the Kiplinger article, “Below-average living costs, above-average pay and a population teeming with twenty-somethings (about 16 percent of the city’s population) make Salt Lake an excellent starting-out city.”

Aside from those statistics, Salt Lake City is becoming a thriving Western metropolitan area, complete with a variety of killer restaurants and countless opportunities for art enjoyment (anyone else looking forward to the Utah Symphony performing John Williams’ music this weekend?). It’s also 30 minutes from the picturesque mountains and the exhilarating outdoor activities they hold. It’s hard to pass up on the beauty and recreation that Utah offers.

I consider myself quite lucky. When I graduated from the University of Utah in 2011, I felt like the world was my oyster. Despite being an English major (which, according to statistics, means that I likely will have a hard time hunting down jobs compared to most other majors), I’ve been able to find opportunities that either match my interests or areas that I wanted to gain more experience.

About a year after I graduated (right after six months of working four part-time jobs/internships), one of those jobs offered me a full-time position that I love and actually incorporates skills I learned from my major. Not long after that, I moved into the heart of Salt Lake City. I’m able to walk or take TRAX to most places that I need on a regular basis, and there’s even a bakery around the corner from where I live. Now I can officially and happily call Salt Lake City my home. Recent grad making a life and a living in Salt Lake City — check!

Go Utes! And congratulations to everyone graduating this spring! Now Salt Lake City can be your oyster. Just don’t be afraid to use your education and your connections to your advantage.