Most & Least Educated Cities in America in 2024

admin August 5, 2024
Most & Least Educated Cities in America in 2024

Cities want to attract highly educated workers to fuel their economic growth and tax revenues. Higher levels of education tend to lead to higher salaries. and the more that people earn, the more tax dollars they contribute over time. In turn, educated people want to live somewhere where they will get a good return on their educational investment. People also tend to marry others of the same educational level, which means cities that already have a large population of well-educated people may be more attractive to those with degrees.

Not all highly educated people will flock to the same areas, though. Some may prefer to have many people with a similar level of education around them for socializing and career connections. Others may want to be a big fish in a little pond. Not every city will provide the same quality of life to those with higher education, either.

To determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work, WalletHub compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the quality of the public-school system to the gender education gap.

cassandra happe

“Higher education doesn’t guarantee better financial opportunities in the future, but it certainly correlates with it. The most educated cities provide good learning opportunities from childhood all the way through the graduate level. In addition to overall education, it’s also important to look at how well cities promote educational equality when it comes to race and gender.”

Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

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Most Educated Cities

Overall Rank* MSA Total Score Educational Attainment Rank Quality of Education & Attainment Gap Rank
1 Ann Arbor, MI 93.71 1 4
2 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 82.12 4 17
3 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 81.88 3 31
4 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 81.32 8 1
5 Madison, WI 81.03 2 51
6 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA 80.76 6 19
7 Raleigh-Cary, NC 79.56 5 30
8 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX 78.12 11 6
9 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 78.10 7 60
10 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 77.60 10 10
11 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 73.22 12 76
12 Provo-Orem, UT 73.13 17 18
13 Huntsville, AL 71.82 21 5
14 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 71.59 20 15
15 Portland-South Portland, ME 71.35 13 94
16 Colorado Springs, CO 70.18 16 88
17 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 70.01 9 150
18 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 69.56 14 102
19 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 69.56 19 57
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 68.80 15 118
21 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 68.74 18 86
22 Tallahassee, FL 68.26 24 13
23 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 67.98 25 12
24 Lexington-Fayette, KY 66.77 23 48
25 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA 66.08 28 25
26 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 65.78 29 21
27 Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT 65.56 22 127
28 Urban Honolulu, HI 63.92 48 8
29 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 63.90 32 36
30 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 63.48 26 85
31 Asheville, NC 63.31 35 46
32 Richmond, VA 62.56 30 84
33 Pittsburgh, PA 62.54 39 41
34 Manchester-Nashua, NH 62.46 27 125
35 Salt Lake City, UT 61.82 50 22
36 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 61.59 34 99
37 Eugene-Springfield, OR 61.57 46 34
38 Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 61.36 37 77
39 Kansas City, MO-KS 61.34 31 106
40 Rochester, NY 61.33 33 96
41 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 61.16 54 24
42 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 60.73 42 61
43 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN 60.69 44 58
44 Columbus, OH 60.51 41 103
45 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 60.42 56 23
46 Tucson, AZ 60.28 53 43
47 St. Louis, MO-IL 60.19 36 129
48 New Haven-Milford, CT 60.10 38 119
49 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 59.44 59 26
50 Boise City, ID 59.38 58 40
51 Worcester, MA-CT 59.30 52 65
52 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 58.36 40 135
53 Naples-Marco Island, FL 58.29 45 124
54 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 57.51 43 133
55 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 57.40 46 137
56 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 57.31 76 14
57 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 57.06 60 69
58 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 57.05 49 134
59 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 56.78 90 2
60 Albuquerque, NM 56.75 55 117
61 Columbia, SC 56.70 62 75
62 Dayton-Kettering, OH 56.36 71 45
63 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 56.33 51 143
64 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 56.20 87 3
65 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 56.07 63 100
65 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 56.07 67 62
67 Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI 56.04 64 90
68 Anchorage, AK 55.98 57 121
69 Syracuse, NY 55.37 61 115
70 Birmingham-Hoover, AL 55.10 79 32
71 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL 55.07 91 7
72 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 54.92 73 67
73 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 54.76 68 104
74 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 54.56 78 54
75 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 54.46 77 56
76 Jacksonville, FL 54.27 75 70
77 Reno, NV 54.23 82 37
78 Springfield, MA 54.07 70 114
79 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 53.99 84 28
80 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 53.92 69 130
81 Akron, OH 53.47 74 112
82 Cleveland-Elyria, OH 53.15 72 132
83 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 52.93 80 82
84 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 52.85 97 16
85 Greenville-Anderson, SC 52.79 92 27
86 Oklahoma City, OK 52.36 86 55
87 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 52.05 104 11
88 Savannah, GA 51.90 65 146
89 Ogden-Clearfield, UT 51.85 66 148
90 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 51.34 81 110
91 Knoxville, TN 51.24 95 44
92 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 51.23 85 89
93 Jackson, MS 50.96 83 122
94 Springfield, MO 50.68 96 47
95 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 50.64 88 95
96 Peoria, IL 49.89 94 93
97 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 49.70 89 113
98 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 49.51 98 68
99 Wichita, KS 49.31 93 108
100 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 49.16 99 72
101 Greensboro-High Point, NC 48.90 108 35
102 Montgomery, AL 48.77 106 49
103 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 48.69 110 29
104 Toledo, OH 48.62 100 81
105 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 48.57 109 32
106 Fayetteville, NC 47.95 118 9
107 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 47.49 105 98
108 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 47.20 103 109
109 Chattanooga, TN-GA 46.91 107 97
110 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 46.23 102 139
111 Tulsa, OK 45.96 112 71
112 Fort Wayne, IN 45.66 111 105
113 Winston-Salem, NC 45.56 119 39
114 Baton Rouge, LA 45.07 114 78
115 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 44.92 117 63
116 Salisbury, MD-DE 43.80 101 149
117 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 43.78 115 123
118 Salem, OR 43.63 121 42
119 Port St. Lucie, FL 43.10 113 136
120 Killeen-Temple, TX 42.32 120 116
121 Vallejo, CA 41.79 116 142
122 Lancaster, PA 41.41 123 66
123 York-Hanover, PA 40.35 125 74
124 Canton-Massillon, OH 39.71 129 50
125 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA 39.40 122 138
126 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 39.13 128 73
127 Flint, MI 39.05 126 111
128 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 38.65 127 101
129 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 37.51 132 79
130 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 37.30 124 145
131 Mobile, AL 36.67 133 52
132 Rockford, IL 36.43 130 126
133 Reading, PA 36.01 131 128
134 Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 35.30 134 87
135 Lafayette, LA 35.08 137 20
136 El Paso, TX 32.80 140 38
137 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 32.36 136 64
138 Ocala, FL 32.16 135 144
139 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 32.11 138 53
140 Fresno, CA 29.24 143 59
141 Corpus Christi, TX 29.17 139 131
142 Salinas, CA 28.57 142 107
143 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 27.35 144 83
144 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 26.91 141 140
145 Stockton, CA 24.51 145 92
146 Modesto, CA 18.55 146 141
147 Bakersfield, CA 17.73 147 120
148 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 12.29 149 91
149 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 10.46 150 80
150 Visalia, CA 9.44 148 147

Notes: *1 = Most Educated
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that MSA, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

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Note: For readability purposes, the above chart displays only 50 metro areas from a total sample of 150.

% of High School Diploma Holders

Highest

  • 1. Ann Arbor, MI
  • 2. Madison, WI
  • 3. Portland, ME
  • 4. Provo, UT
  • 5. Colorado Springs, CO
% of High School Diploma Holders

Lowest

  • 146. Bakersfield, CA
  • 147. Visalia, CA
  • 148. Salinas, CA
  • 149. Brownsville, TX
  • 150. McAllen, TX
% of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults

Highest

  • 1. Ann Arbor, MI
  • 2. Provo, UT
  • 3. Raleigh, NC
  • 4. San Jose, CA
  • 5. Madison, WI
% of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults

Lowest

  • T-145. Lafayette, LA
  • T-145. Modesto, CA
  • 147. Bakersfield, CA
  • 148. Visalia, CA
  • 149. Brownsville, TX
  • 150. McAllen, TX
% of Bachelor's Degree Holders

Highest

  • 1. Ann Arbor, MI
  • 2. San Jose, CA
  • 3. Washington, DC
  • 4. San Francisco, CA
  • 5. Boston, MA
% of Bachelor's Degree Holders

Lowest

  • 146. Brownsville, TX
  • 147. Beaumont, TX
  • 148. Bakersfield, CA
  • 149. Modesto, CA
  • 150. Visalia, CA
% of Graduate or Professional Degree Holders

Highest

  • T-1. Ann Arbor, MI
  • T-1. San Jose, CA
  • T-1. Washington, DC
  • T-1. Durham, NC
  • T-1. Boston, MA
% of Graduate or Professional Degree Holders

Lowest

  • 146. McAllen, TX
  • 147. Brownsville, TX
  • 148. Modesto, CA
  • 149. Visalia, CA
  • 150. Beaumont, TX
Avg. University Quality

Highest

  • 1. San Jose, CA
  • 2. San Francisco, CA
  • 3. Trenton, NJ
  • 4. Santa Maria, CA
  • 5. Ann Arbor, MI
Avg. University Quality

Lowest

  • T-128. Bridgeport, CT
  • T-128. Colorado Springs, CO
  • T-128. Santa Rosa, CA
  • T-128. Albuquerque, NM
  • T-128. Naples, FL
Racial Education Gap

Largest (favoring Black People)

  • 1. Fayetteville, AR
  • 2. Albuquerque, NM
  • 3. Reading, PA
  • 4. Ogden, UT
  • 5. Ocala, FL
Racial Education Gap

Largest (favoring White People)

  • 141. Santa Rosa, CA
  • 142. Charleston, SC
  • 143. Naples, FL
  • 144. Madison, WI
  • 145. Milwaukee, WI
Gender Education Gap

Largest (favoring Women)

  • 1. Anchorage, AK
  • 2. Jackson, MS
  • 3. Durham, NC
  • 4. Vallejo, CA
  • 5. Tallahassee, FL
Gender Education Gap

Largest (favoring Men)

  • 146. Rochester, NY
  • 147. Manchester, NH
  • 148. Pittsburgh, PA
  • 149. Buffalo, NY
  • 150. Albany, NY

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In-Depth Look at the Most Educated Cities

Ann Arbor, MI

The Ann Arbor, MI, metro area is the most educated in the country, with over 95% of adults ages 25 and older having at least a high school diploma, over 57% having a bachelor’s degree and over 30% having an advanced degree, all of which are the highest rates in the country.

Ann Arbor also ranks fifth in the country when it comes to the quality of its universities, and it has the 18th-best public-school system. In addition, the metro area has a lot of equality in educational attainment, with only a 1.9% gap between the share of women and men who have at least a bachelor’s degree.

San Jose, CA

The San Jose, CA metro area is the second-most educated in America, with residents pursuing higher education at high rates. Over 54% of adults ages 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree, and over 26% have a graduate or professional degree.

San Jose also ranks first in the country for university quality, and it also has the fourth-most summer learning opportunities per capita.

Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C. metro area is the third-most educated in the country, with 53% of the population ages 25 and older having at least a bachelor’s degree and over 26% having an advanced degree.

D.C. also ranks among the top 25 metro areas for university quality and the number of summer learning opportunities per capita.

Ask the Experts

Research shows that a skilled and educated workforce provides a significant boost to the economy. For strategies aimed at increasing a city’s brainpower and the best approaches to educational development, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

  1. Should local authorities target policies and programs to attract highly educated people? If so, what works?
  2. Are highly educated cities better able to withstand economic shocks?
  3. In your opinion, what is the most important step we can take as a country to develop a more educated and skilled workforce?
  4. What are the top education issues in 2024?
  5. How can the U.S. reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

Methodology

To identify the most and least educated cities in America, WalletHub 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 those dimensions using 11 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest educational attainment and quality of education. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each metro area’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Educational Attainment – Total Points: 80

  • Share of Adults Aged 25 & Older with a High School Diploma or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least Some College Experience or an Associate’s Degree or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 & Older with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 & Older with a Graduate or Professional Degree: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)

Quality of Education & Attainment Gap – Total Points: 20

  • Quality of Public School System: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on GreatSchools.org’s ratings of U.S. public schools.
  • Average Quality of Universities: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “College & University” rankings report.
  • Enrolled Students in Top 857 Universities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “College & University” rankings report.
  • Number of Summer Learning Opportunities per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  • Racial Education Gap*: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
    Note: This metric specifically measures the difference between the percentage of black bachelor’s degree holders and the percentage of their white counterparts.
  • Gender Education Gap*: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
    Note: This metric specifically measures the difference between the percentage of female bachelor’s degree holders and the percentage of their male counterparts.
  • Education Equality Index Score: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
    Note: The Education Equality Index (EEI) is a comparative measure of the achievement gap between students from low-income families, as measured by participation in the free and reduced price lunch program, and their more advantaged peers. The EEI compares the proportion of students from low-income families who are proficient on a state assessment to all students across the state who took that same grade or subject level assessment.

*Additional context: In metro areas where women have an advantage over men and black people have an advantage over white people, we gave extra credit compared to the metro areas with no gender-based/racial inequality.

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of June 4, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, GreatSchools.org, GreatSchools.org – Education Equality Index, Yelp and WalletHub research.

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