Which cities are the bulk of the nation’s most educated calling home these days?
To determine the Most And Least Educated Cities In America, financial site WalletHub took a look at the 150 largest metros in the U.S. and ranked them according to nine weighted metrics, including percentage of adult residents with a high school diploma, associate’s degree, graduate or professional degree, or above; public school system rankings; average quality of universities; and differences between percentages of black and white B.A. holders and male and female B.A. holders.
"With more schooling, they not only have access to better job opportunities and bigger salaries, but educated workers also fill their cities’ coffers with the most tax dollars over time, according to the Economic Policy Institute," states the report.
Topping the list this year is Ann Arbor, Michigan. The city ties with Madison, Wisconsin, for the highest percentage of high school diploma holders, and has the highest percentage of associate's, bachelor's, and graduate degree holders.
The Washington, D.C. metro area; Madison, Wisconsin; Provo-Orem, Utah; and Colorado Springs, Colorado, round out the top five. Provo-Orem ties for the smallest difference between the percentage of black and white bachelor's degree holders, while the D.C. area ties for smallest difference between the percentage of male and female bachelor's degree holders.
In pictures: The 25 Most And Least Educated Cities In The U.S.
At the other end of the spectrum, Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, ranks as the least educated city in America, with one of the lowest percentages of high school diploma, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, and graduate or professional degree holders.
Visalia-Porterville, California; Bakersfield, California; McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas; and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas round out the five least educated cities in the country.
The 10 Most Educated Cities In The U.S.
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3. Madison, Wisconsin
4. Provo-Orem, Utah
5. Colorado Springs, Colorado
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
7. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
8. Lansing-East Lansing, Michigan
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
10. Raleigh, North Carolina
The 10 Least Educated Cities In The U.S.
1. Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas
2. Visalia-Porterville, California
3. Bakersfield, California
4. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
5. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
6. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida
7. Modesto, California
8. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, North Carolina
9. Lafayette, Louisiana
10. Fresno, California
In pictures: The 25 Most And Least Educated Cities In The U.S.
