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A link to the article, more information as well as some visual aids!
A shorter article.
The list from the most educated to least:
1) Ann Arbor, MI
2) Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3) San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
4) Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
5) Madison, WI
6) Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
7) San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
8) Provo-Orem, UT
9) Austin-Round Rock, TX
10) Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
11) Tallahassee, FL
12) Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
13) Trenton, NJ
14) Raleigh, NC
15) Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
16) Colorado Springs, CO
17) Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
18) Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
19) Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
20) Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
21) San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
22) Portland-South Portland, ME
23) Eugene, OR
24) Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
25) Lansing-East Lansing, MI
26) New Haven-Milford, CT
27) Huntsville, AL
28) Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
29) Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
30) Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
31) Honolulu, HI
32) Salt Lake City, UT
33) St. Louis, MO-IL
34) Anchorage, AK
35) Albuquerque, NM
36) Columbus, OH
37) New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
38) Tucson, AZ
39) Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
40) Rochester, NY
41) Kansas City, MO-KS
42) Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
43) Pittsburgh, PA
44) Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
45) Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
46) Worcester, MA-CT
47 Lexington-Fayette, KY
48) Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
49) Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
50) Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
51) Manchester-Nashua, NH
52) Santa Rosa, CA
53) Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
54) Syracuse, NY
55) Columbia, SC
56) Richmond, VA
57) Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
58) Reno, NV
59) Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
60) Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
61) Asheville, NC
62) Charleston-North Charleston, SC
63) Boise City, ID
64) Cleveland-Elyria, OH
65) Ogden-Clearfield, UT
66) Oklahoma City, OK
67) Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
68) Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
69) Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
70) Akron, OH
71) Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
72) Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
73) Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
74) Savannah, GA
75) Dayton, OH
76) Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
77) Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
78) North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
79) Birmingham-Hoover, AL
80) Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
81) Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
82) Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
83) Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
84) Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
85) Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
86) Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
87) Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
88) New Orleans-Metairie, LA
89) Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
90) Jackson, MS
91) Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
92) Toledo, OH
93) Jacksonville, FL
94) Springfield, MO
95) Peoria, IL
96) Springfield, MA
97) Tulsa, OK
98) Winston-Salem, NC
99) Wichita, KS
100) Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
101) Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
102) Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
103) Greensboro-High Point, NC
104) Baton Rouge, LA
105) Fayetteville, NC
106) Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
107) Fort Wayne, IN
108) Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
109) Montgomery, AL
110) San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
111) Knoxville, TN
112) Killeen-Temple, TX
113) Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
114) Memphis, TN-MS-AR
115) Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
116) Salem, OR
117) Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
118) Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
119) Port St. Lucie, FL
120) Flint, MI
121) Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
122) Salisbury, MD-DE
123) Chattanooga, TN-GA
124) Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
125) York-Hanover, PA
126) Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA
127) Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
128) Canton-Massillon, OH
129) Mobile, AL
130) Rockford, IL
131) Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
132) Lancaster, PA
133) Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
134) Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
135) Corpus Christi, TX
136) Reading, PA
137) Stockton-Lodi, CA
138) Ocala, FL
139) El Paso, TX
140) Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
141) Salinas, CA
142) Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
143) Lafayette, LA
144) Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
145) Fresno, CA
146) Modesto, CA
147) Bakersfield, CA
148) Visalia-Porterville, CA
149) Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
150) McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
A shorter article.
They may not always be the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, but the college-educated third of Americans often have a leg up on their non-degree-holding peers. With more schooling, educated workers not only have access to better job opportunities and bigger salaries, but they also fill their cities coffers with the most tax dollars over time, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
One way to strengthen an economy, the EPI suggests, is to attract well-paying employers by investing in education and increasing the number of well-educated workers. In states with the least schooled workforces, the median wage is $15 an hour compared with $19 to $20 an hour in states where 40 percent or more of the working population holds at least a bachelors degree. Local governments appear to be catching on and maximizing the appeal of their cities to college graduates.
As the fall semester draws near, WalletHubs analysts compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, to determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work. In order to make such a comparison, we examined each metro area across nine key metrics, ranging from the percentage of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelors degree or higher to the educational attainment gap between women and men.
Topping the list yet again is Ann Arbor, Michigan. The city claims the highest percentage of associate degree holders or adults with some college experience, as well as the highest percentage of bachelors degree and graduate or professional degree holders. The Washington, D.C. metro area; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California; Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin round out the top five. Madison claims the highest percentage of high school diploma holders among its population while the San Jose metro area maintains the highest quality universities.
At the other end of the spectrum, McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission, Texas ranks as the least educated metro area in America, with among the lowest percentages of high school diploma holders, associate, bachelor, and graduate degree holders.Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas; Visalia-Porterville, Texas; Bakersfield, California; and Modesto, California round out the bottom five.
Methodology
To identify the most educated cities in America, WalletHubs analysts compared the 150 most populated U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across two key dimensions, including Educational Attainment and Quality of Education & Attainment Gap.
We evaluated these categories using nine relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest educational attainment and quality.
We then calculated overall scores for each metro area using the weighted average across all metrics, which we then used to construct our overall rankings.
Educational Attainment - Total Points: 80
Percentage of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least a High School Diploma: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Percentage of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least Some College Experience or an Associate's Degree: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Percentage of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least a Bachelor's Degree: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Percentage of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least a Graduate or Professional Degree: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Quality of Education & Attainment Gap - Total Points: 20
Public-School-System Ranking: Double Weight (~5.71 Points)
Average Quality of Universities: Double Weight (~5.71 Points)
Number of Enrolled Students in Top 200 Universities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Racial Gap in Educational Attainment*: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Gender Gap in Educational Attainment*: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
The list from the most educated to least:
1) Ann Arbor, MI
2) Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3) San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
4) Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
5) Madison, WI
6) Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
7) San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
8) Provo-Orem, UT
9) Austin-Round Rock, TX
10) Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
11) Tallahassee, FL
12) Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
13) Trenton, NJ
14) Raleigh, NC
15) Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
16) Colorado Springs, CO
17) Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
18) Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
19) Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
20) Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
21) San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
22) Portland-South Portland, ME
23) Eugene, OR
24) Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
25) Lansing-East Lansing, MI
26) New Haven-Milford, CT
27) Huntsville, AL
28) Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
29) Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
30) Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
31) Honolulu, HI
32) Salt Lake City, UT
33) St. Louis, MO-IL
34) Anchorage, AK
35) Albuquerque, NM
36) Columbus, OH
37) New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
38) Tucson, AZ
39) Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
40) Rochester, NY
41) Kansas City, MO-KS
42) Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
43) Pittsburgh, PA
44) Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
45) Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
46) Worcester, MA-CT
47 Lexington-Fayette, KY
48) Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
49) Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
50) Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
51) Manchester-Nashua, NH
52) Santa Rosa, CA
53) Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
54) Syracuse, NY
55) Columbia, SC
56) Richmond, VA
57) Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
58) Reno, NV
59) Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
60) Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
61) Asheville, NC
62) Charleston-North Charleston, SC
63) Boise City, ID
64) Cleveland-Elyria, OH
65) Ogden-Clearfield, UT
66) Oklahoma City, OK
67) Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
68) Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
69) Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
70) Akron, OH
71) Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
72) Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
73) Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
74) Savannah, GA
75) Dayton, OH
76) Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
77) Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
78) North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
79) Birmingham-Hoover, AL
80) Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
81) Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
82) Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
83) Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
84) Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
85) Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
86) Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
87) Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
88) New Orleans-Metairie, LA
89) Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
90) Jackson, MS
91) Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
92) Toledo, OH
93) Jacksonville, FL
94) Springfield, MO
95) Peoria, IL
96) Springfield, MA
97) Tulsa, OK
98) Winston-Salem, NC
99) Wichita, KS
100) Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
101) Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
102) Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
103) Greensboro-High Point, NC
104) Baton Rouge, LA
105) Fayetteville, NC
106) Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
107) Fort Wayne, IN
108) Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
109) Montgomery, AL
110) San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
111) Knoxville, TN
112) Killeen-Temple, TX
113) Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
114) Memphis, TN-MS-AR
115) Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
116) Salem, OR
117) Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
118) Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
119) Port St. Lucie, FL
120) Flint, MI
121) Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
122) Salisbury, MD-DE
123) Chattanooga, TN-GA
124) Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
125) York-Hanover, PA
126) Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA
127) Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
128) Canton-Massillon, OH
129) Mobile, AL
130) Rockford, IL
131) Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
132) Lancaster, PA
133) Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
134) Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
135) Corpus Christi, TX
136) Reading, PA
137) Stockton-Lodi, CA
138) Ocala, FL
139) El Paso, TX
140) Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
141) Salinas, CA
142) Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
143) Lafayette, LA
144) Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
145) Fresno, CA
146) Modesto, CA
147) Bakersfield, CA
148) Visalia-Porterville, CA
149) Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
150) McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX