The best U.S. cities for business opportunities

“Where are the jobs?” That's the question financial giant Forbes recently asked first-time job seekers. The business magazine analyzed 350 U.S. metropolitan areas to find out which cities had the most promise for young professionals. The city with the best mix of opportunities for entry-level candidates: two-year-champion, San Francisco, Calif. with Washington, D.C. and Ann Arbor, Mich., coming in not far behind. Other promising locations (ranked by population) to begin a career include:

One million residents and counting

San Jose, Calif.

Cambridge, Mass.

Houston

Less than one million residents

Bridgeport, Conn.

Madison, Wis.

Less than 500,000 residents

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Boulder, Colo.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

To compile the list, Forbes examined data, including the quality of jobs in each area, the health of regional companies both large and small, the concentration of Ivy League graduates, and cost-of-living adjustments.

Click here for more information on Forbes' career-friendly cities.