America’s most (and least) educated cities
If you want to live amidst people with advanced degrees or have your kids attend the best schools, you’re far better off in some cities than others.
2015’s Most and Least Educated Cities
A study released Monday by personal finance site WalletHub.com found that the level and quality of education in cities around the country varies widely. No. 1 ranked Ann Arbor, Mich. has the highest percentage of adults 25 and up with bachelor’s, graduate and professional degrees in the country — and it’s startling to compare the city’s numbers with other locales. Indeed, the percentage of people who have a bachelor’s degree in Ann Arbor is four times as high as in the 149th ranked Visalia, Calif., and the percentage of people who hold a graduate or professional degree in Ann Arbor is six times higher than in last-place Brownsville, Texas.
This study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, GreatSchools.org and U.S. News & World Report to rank the top 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. in terms of the level of education (high school, college, grad school, etc.) residents had obtained, as wells as the quality of education offered both in terms of public grade schools and universities.
Why are some cities so much better educated than others? There are myriad theories, among them: Cities with a high proportion of people with college and advanced degrees sometimes attribute that to the fact that they have plenty of high-paying jobs (indeed, research shows a strong correlation between the median income earned in a city and the level of education attained.)
Meanwhile, there is evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between the quality of public school education and the amount of public funding, so more affluent communities often have better public schools. What’s more, other studies suggest that certain wealthy areas (with well-funded and high-performing public schools) have effectively created gated communities through public policies and “exclusionary zoning” that can lock poorer residents out.
Here are the 10 most -- and least -- educated cities in America, according to WalletHub, which looked at 150 metro areas. You can delve into the full rankings here.
The most educated cities in America
| 1. Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2. Washington, D.C. |
| 3. Madison, WI |
| 4. Provo, UT |
| 5. Colorado Springs, CO |
| 6. Seattle, WA |
| 7. Boston, MA |
| 8. Lansing, MI |
| 9. Minneapolis, MN |
| 10. Raleigh, NC |
The least educated cities in America
| 141. Fresno, CA |
| 142. Lafayette, LA |
| 143. Hickory, NC |
| 144. Modesto, CA |
| 145. Lakeland, FL |
| 146. Beaumont, TX |
| 147. McAllen, TX |
| 148. Bakersfield, CA |
| 149. Visalia, CA |
| 150. Brownsville, TX |