So this explains Atlantans’ allegiance to so many different college football teams. 

Metro Atlanta ranks among the top magnets for highly coveted recent college graduates in the country, ahead of larger metropolitan areas such as Dallas and Houston, according to JLL’s 2025 Talent Hubs report. 

The new analysis also found that Atlanta has solidified its “dominance” as the top talent magnet in the Southeast, pulling in about 1/3 of all graduates from around Georgia and several surrounding states. 

JLL analysts ranked metro Atlanta as the No. 7 talent hub in the U.S., owing to its “growing momentum as a magnet for technology and innovation talent,” diversity, and relative affordability compared to coastal competitors. 

No other market in the Southeast ranked in the Top 10.  

The city and its submarkets (such as Central Perimeter and North Fulton) have attracted more than 24,000 “office-centric graduates” over the past year. Of those, about 36 percent came from other metros, “demonstrating [Atlanta’s] strong regional draw,” per a JLL recap provided to Urbanize Atlanta. 

JLL

In fact, Atlanta is considered the top destination for 28 different schools, per JLL’s findings. More than 400 schools list the metro among its top 10 destinations for graduates.

Working in metro Atlanta’s favor is a diverse hub of Fortune 500 companies across tech, transportation, retail, food and beverage, and other industries. Among the study’s Top 10 markets, Atlanta is the most culturally and racially diverse, per JLL.  

“Atlanta offers significant cost advantages compared to coastal gateways and regional peers like Miami,” reads the analysis recap. “The market maintains competitive median salaries for roles across a range of industries.”

Analysts also cited Atlanta’s growing reputation as a tech hub and—while it may be disconcertingly lagging previous years—the “Hollywood of the South” for creative and media industries.  

Here’s a visual overview of JLL’s findings: 

JLL

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