A cornerstone to the appeal of Austin is found in the University of Texas. "A college or university can boost any town from good to great," says Burt Sperling, co-author of the book, Best Places to Raise Your Family: The Top 100 Affordable Communities in the U.S . In his book, Sperling provides an in-depth analysis of 100 U.S. neighborhoods and the Austin area ranks highly. "There's the vibrancy of the college scene, arts and lecture series, concerts, guest professors, literary events, classes to audit, and not least, college sports.”

The University of Texas is Austin’s largest employer and one of the largest in the state of Texas. The university generates $6 billion each year in business activity and creates more than 80,000 jobs. Student spending provides an annual economic boost of $544 million into the local economy. The 350-acre main campus has about 52,000 students and 21,000 faculty and staff, making it the largest single-campus university in the nation.