@NJSue, Trenton would definitely not be high on the list. We are talking Trenton MSA.
Just looked at the methodology in the NerdWallet article. Each school is allocated points based upon various criteria, with a maximum of 100 points. Here are some of the major criteria:
Educational Attainment - Total Points: 80
Share of Adults Aged 25 Years & Older with a High School Diploma or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Share of Adults Aged 25 Years & Older with at Least Some College Experience or an Associate’s Degree or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Share of Adults Aged 25 Years & Older with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Share of Adults Aged 25 Years & Older with a Graduate or Professional Degree: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
The first two give a near-automatic boost to university towns.
Trenton MSA gets 4.44 additional points because of university quality where it is first among the MSAs. Princeton diluted only slightly by a few small state schools probably does the trick. Interesting.