Which U.S. Cities are the Most and Least Educated?

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 degree-less peers. 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.

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 bachelor’s degree. Local governments appear to be catching on and maximizing the appeal of their cities to college graduates.

As the fall semester commences, WalletHub determined where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle. In order to do so, we compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas across nine key metrics. Our data set ranges from the percentage of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the attainment gap between women and men. You can find the complete ranking, additional expert commentary and a detailed methodology below.

Source: WalletHub

Overall Rank	MSA	“Education Level” Rank	“Quality of Education & Attainment Gap” Rank
1	Ann Arbor, MI	1	4
2	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	3	19
3	Madison, WI	2	51
4	Provo-Orem, UT	11	6
5	Colorado Springs, CO	4	47
6	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	6	31
7	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	5	63
8	Lansing-East Lansing, MI	15	1
9	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	7	59
10	Raleigh, NC	10	49
11	Tallahassee, FL	17	15
12	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	18	9
13	Portland-South Portland, ME	12	68
14	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	21	5
15	Austin-Round Rock, TX	21	11
T-16	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	9	119
T-16	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	13	66
18	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	14	92
19	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	23	30
20	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	16	110
21	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	8	149
22	Manchester-Nashua, NH	19	128
23	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	20	116
24	Honolulu, HI	30	14
25	Huntsville, AL	25	99
26	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	27	102
27	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	26	111
28	Kansas City, MO-KS	24	130
29	Anchorage, AK	33	33
30	Eugene, OR	39	9
31	Lexington-Fayette, KY	32	62
32	Salt Lake City, UT	35	24
33	Rochester, NY	28	138
34	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	37	32
35	St. Louis, MO-IL	29	126
36	Columbus, OH	34	106
37	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	36	65
38	San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	42	29
39	Trenton, NJ	31	142
40	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	44	39
T-41	Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	52	16
T-41	Worcester, MA-CT	41	89
43	Santa Rosa, CA	45	40
44	New Haven-Milford, CT	43	83
45	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	47	59
46	Pittsburgh, PA	48	42
47	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	37	124
48	Albuquerque, NM	51	36
49	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	40	135
50	Boise City, ID	49	72
51	Tucson, AZ	54	38
52	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	50	80
53	Asheville, NC	59	35
54	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	56	74
55	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	64	7
56	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL	52	115
57	Ogden-Clearfield, UT	46	145
58	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	54	122
59	Richmond, VA	58	113
60	Columbia, SC	60	76
61	Syracuse, NY	56	125
62	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	72	13
63	Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	61	104
64	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	64	49
65	Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN	63	88
66	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	62	106
67	Savannah, GA	64	95
68	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	73	82
69	Reno, NV	84	8
70	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	67	121
71	Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL	67	131
72	Akron, OH	70	132
73	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	77	74
74	Wichita, KS	67	139
75	Dayton, OH	75	120
76	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	78	86
77	Springfield, MA	80	73
78	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	74	137
79	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	83	58
80	Jacksonville, FL	82	90
81	Oklahoma City, OK	86	17
82	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	80	111
83	Cleveland-Elyria, OH	71	150
84	Jackson, MS	78	134
85	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	88	25
86	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	97	3
87	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	87	37
88	Peoria, IL	76	148
89	Springfield, MO	93	27
90	Birmingham-Hoover, AL	90	71
91	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	89	97
92	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	94	57
93	Fort Wayne, IN	95	54
94	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	91	91
95	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	85	147
96	Fayetteville, NC	98	56
97	Knoxville, TN	104	12
98	Toledo, OH	95	83
99	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	99	77
100	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	102	69
101	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	100	94
102	Tulsa, OK	101	64
103	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	92	133
104	Killeen-Temple, TX	103	93
105	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	107	23
106	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	111	18
107	Greensboro-High Point, NC	107	34
108	Baton Rouge, LA	109	46
109	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	112	55
110	Montgomery, AL	105	118
111	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	110	87
112	Canton-Massillon, OH	117	27
113	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	106	140
114	Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	118	41
115	Salisbury, MD-DE	115	81
116	Flint, MI	116	108
117	Port St. Lucie, FL	114	126
118	Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC	119	103
119	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	119	104
120	Winston-Salem, NC	124	2
121	Salem, OR	119	108
122	York-Hanover, PA	123	67
123	Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS	125	47
124	Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA	113	146
125	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV	130	20
126	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	122	129
127	Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	128	77
128	Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	129	83
129	Rockford, IL	127	135
130	Mobile, AL	133	44
131	Chattanooga, TN-GA	125	143
132	Salinas, CA	132	96
133	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	134	100
134	Lancaster, PA	131	123
135	El Paso, TX	139	22
136	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	136	53
137	Stockton-Lodi, CA	141	26
138	Corpus Christi, TX	138	100
139	Reading, PA	135	144
140	Ocala, FL	137	117
141	Fresno, CA	141	70
142	Lafayette, LA	143	79
143	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	145	61
144	Modesto, CA	146	42
145	Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	144	98
146	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	140	114
147	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	148	21
148	Bakersfield, CA	147	45
149	Visalia-Porterville, CA	149	51
150	Brownsville-Harlingen, TX	150	141