Posted by: Adam McCann

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 graduates earn, the more tax dollars they contribute over time, according to the Economic Policy Institute. 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. Already having a large educated population may be a good way to draw in even more people with degrees.

Not all highly educated people will flock to the same areas, though. Some may prefer to have many people with similar education levels 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 share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to quality of the public school system to gender education gap. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

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Most Educated Cities

Overall Rank (1 = Most Educated)	MSA	Total Score	‘Educational Attainment’ Rank	‘Quality of Education & Attainment Gap’ Rank
1	Ann Arbor, MI	91.75	1	6
2	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	76.43	2	45
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	75.14	3	3
4	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	71.50	5	21
5	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	71.07	7	15
6	Madison, WI	69.02	4	108
7	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	67.34	6	111
8	Austin-Round Rock, TX	66.14	15	2
9	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	65.86	8	139
10	Provo-Orem, UT	64.68	11	75
11	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	64.16	10	54
12	Colorado Springs, CO	63.05	12	86
13	Raleigh, NC	62.36	9	141
14	Tallahassee, FL	61.52	20	20
15	Trenton, NJ	61.37	16	93
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	61.14	13	131
17	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	61.01	14	123
18	Portland-South Portland, ME	60.94	18	59
19	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	60.44	17	82
20	Lansing-East Lansing, MI	58.88	23	77
21	San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	58.69	28	10
22	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	58.65	19	112
23	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	58.08	21	119
24	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	57.87	22	110
25	Huntsville, AL	57.79	24	52
26	Urban Honolulu, HI	57.28	38	4
27	Anchorage, AK	56.93	32	18
28	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	56.87	36	9
29	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	56.75	31	23
30	Kansas City, MO-KS	55.12	27	96
31	Lexington-Fayette, KY	54.92	29	87
32	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	54.69	26	116
33	Asheville, NC	54.67	53	8
34	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	54.54	30	90
35	Santa Rosa, CA	53.96	42	58
36	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	53.62	35	81
37	Pittsburgh, PA	53.29	47	33
38	St. Louis, MO-IL	52.96	34	102
39	Rochester, NY	52.86	33	130
40	New Haven-Milford, CT	52.83	37	114
41	Boise City, ID	52.64	56	27
42	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	52.58	54	44
43	Salt Lake City, UT	52.54	41	104
44	Eugene, OR	52.42	50	76
45	Worcester, MA-CT	52.24	52	62
46	Manchester-Nashua, NH	52.21	25	147
47	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	52.08	55	51
48	Richmond, VA	51.94	45	89
49	Albuquerque, NM	51.94	57	38
50	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	51.86	39	118
51	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	51.70	44	115
52	Columbus, OH	51.55	40	125
53	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA	51.06	48	99
54	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	51.03	43	124
55	Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL	50.50	61	60
56	Savannah, GA	50.20	64	64
57	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	50.17	63	53
58	Springfield, MA	50.16	71	30
59	Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	50.13	66	55
60	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	50.07	49	122
61	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	49.65	65	69
62	Syracuse, NY	49.64	58	129
63	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	49.23	70	50
64	Reno, NV	49.12	81	19
65	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	49.09	62	95
66	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	48.96	80	22
67	Ogden-Clearfield, UT	48.90	46	150
68	Oklahoma City, OK	48.84	85	14
69	Dayton, OH	48.84	72	66
70	Tucson, AZ	48.70	51	136
71	Jackson, MS	48.66	79	34
72	Columbia, SC	48.55	59	132
73	Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN	48.12	67	109
74	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	48.02	69	101
75	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	47.81	78	65
76	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	47.77	86	24
77	Wichita, KS	47.74	74	92
78	Akron, OH	47.67	75	91
79	Jacksonville, FL	47.65	76	78
80	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	47.60	77	71
81	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	47.05	96	5
82	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL	46.90	60	142
83	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	46.80	68	137
84	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	46.66	83	68
85	Peoria, IL	46.31	82	113
86	Cleveland-Elyria, OH	46.25	73	127
87	Birmingham-Hoover, AL	46.10	87	70
88	Fayetteville, NC	45.99	98	13
89	Springfield, MO	45.81	92	47
90	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	45.04	88	85
91	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	44.99	84	120
92	Fort Wayne, IN	44.97	97	29
93	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	44.81	95	41
94	Montgomery, AL	44.75	106	16
95	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	44.29	89	105
96	Toledo, OH	44.26	94	83
97	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	44.19	101	39
98	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	44.03	105	32
99	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	43.88	104	36
100	Greensboro-High Point, NC	43.60	108	31
101	Tulsa, OK	43.43	102	56
102	Knoxville, TN	43.39	99	74
103	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	43.21	90	128
104	Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC	43.11	114	12
105	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	43.08	91	133
106	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	42.85	103	72
107	Killeen-Temple, TX	42.07	110	67
108	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	42.06	113	37
109	Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	41.15	111	88
110	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	41.00	93	149
111	Baton Rouge, LA	40.88	112	80
112	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	40.81	109	107
113	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	40.65	107	121
114	Salem, OR	40.49	115	63
115	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	40.47	100	138
116	Winston-Salem, NC	40.13	117	61
117	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	39.46	120	49
118	Canton-Massillon, OH	38.73	124	26
119	Flint, MI	38.63	121	73
120	Mobile, AL	38.14	129	7
121	Chattanooga, TN-GA	38.04	122	94
122	Salisbury, MD-DE	37.81	119	117
123	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV	37.52	127	35
124	Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	37.44	128	25
125	Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS	37.19	126	79
126	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA	37.19	123	103
127	Rockford, IL	36.45	125	106
128	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	36.04	118	145
129	York-Hanover, PA	35.96	130	40
130	Port St. Lucie, FL	35.94	116	144
131	Lancaster, PA	35.23	131	42
132	Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	33.73	133	57
133	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	33.01	134	46
134	Reading, PA	32.95	132	97
135	Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	30.95	138	17
136	Lafayette, LA	30.16	140	11
137	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	29.46	136	98
138	El Paso, TX	29.19	141	28
139	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	28.86	139	43
140	Corpus Christi, TX	27.76	137	126
141	Ocala, FL	26.21	135	146
142	Fresno, CA	25.15	145	48
143	Stockton-Lodi, CA	24.64	144	100
144	Salinas, CA	22.91	142	140
145	Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	22.00	143	143
146	Modesto, CA	20.45	146	135
147	Bakersfield, CA	16.19	147	134
148	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	11.32	150	1
149	Brownsville-Harlingen, TX	8.75	149	84
150	Visalia-Porterville, CA	6.79	148	148

 

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/6656/geochart-educatedc2.html" width="700" height="450" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:700px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2uWhD9i>

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

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. Will the Trump administration’s proposed education budget cuts — to student loans, after-school programs and teacher training, for instance — increase or decrease the level of education inequality among cities?
5. How can the U.S. reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

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• Elaine Farndale Associate Professor, Human Resource Management, Center Director, Center for International Human Resource Studies, Pennsylvania State University
• Cassandra Guarino Professor of Education and Public Policy, University of California at Riverside
• Stephen J. Schmidt Professor of Economics, Union College
• Lauren Kelly Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, College of Education
• Vicki L. Baker Professor, Albion College

Elaine Farndale Associate Professor, Human Resource Management, Center Director, Center for International Human Resource Studies, Pennsylvania State University

Are highly educated cities better able to withstand economic shocks?

State College PA, the home of the main campus of Penn State, is a perfect example of this. The financial crisis years barely affected the local economy, with house prices, for example, remaining high and relatively stable as they plummeted in other cities across the US.

In your opinion, what is the most important step we can take as a country to develop a more educated and skilled workforce?

Stronger connections between local business and educational institutions (schools, colleges, universities) can be the most effective way to establish a balance between what skills are required and how they can be developed. Partnerships develop a better understanding of skills’ supply and demand.

How can the US reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

The H1-B visa situation had been allowing some companies to take advantage of the system. Many skilled immigrants have been finding positions through third-party agencies (e.g. Indian sourcing agencies for IT skilled employees) who have acquired a majority share of H1-B visas as a result of the quota system (i.e. that there is a limited number of visas available for people entering from certain countries). The problem that had resulted was that these lower-cost highly-skilled immigrants were sometimes being used to displace more expensive local employees. This is obviously unfair workplace practice, but also discourages local people from skilling themselves in these areas as their job security is being undermined. Moreover, there is little information available about the conditions under which immigrant talent are being treated as employees. High-skill immigration policy should be reformed to ensure that it is being used for genuine cases of skill shortages and not to find cheaper labor. Moreover, immigrants entering the country should have some sense of security about their relocation, allowing them to feel welcomed and also be able to integrate into the workplace as well as society as a whole. Being perceived as taking local jobs when this is not the reality in true skill shortage situations is not helpful for this integration process. My own research in this area indicates that the US firms we spoke with prefer to develop local talent and only use high-skilled immigration when other local options have been exhausted in order to take a longer-term perspective on building their talent pool.

Please note that these are my personal thoughts and are not representative of Penn State University.

Cassandra Guarino Professor of Education and Public Policy, University of California at Riverside

Should local authorities target policies and programs to attract highly educated people? If so, what works?

We know that higher salaries and good working conditions make teaching more attractive to highly qualified teachers. Working conditions are good when schools are safe, students are well behaved and ready to learn, administrators support their teachers, and teaching is a collaborative enterprise.

In your opinion, what is the most important step we can take as a country to develop a more educated and skilled workforce?

I think there are several steps that need to be taken. Families in poverty need support in myriad ways to keep children healthy, prepared to learn, and supported at home. Resources must be distributed more heavily to schools in need and that means highly competent teachers and administrators as well as funding. Students need funding support and opportunities to attend college and they need to know about these opportunities early enough to make the right choices in high school. Schools must be free of bias and racism and must strive to make their climates safe and supportive to all students.

Stephen J. Schmidt Professor of Economics, Union College

Should local authorities target policies and programs to attract highly educated people? If so, what works?

This is hard to do well. A few cities have done well by creating a high quality of life with public facilities - Portland OR comes to mind. Most cities that try this don't do very well, however. In general this is probably not an effective approach except in very favorable circumstances (e.g. access to a good natural environment).

Are highly educated cities better able to withstand economic shocks?

It depends on the shock. Most of the time highly educated cities will do better, but in some cases not. For example, a shock caused by a ban on selling technology products to China would hit Silicon Valley much harder than it would hit Alexandria LA.

In your opinion, what is the most important step we can take as a country to develop a more educated and skilled workforce?

Reduce high school dropout rates, particularly in inner cities. Unfortunately, this will require cultural change in addition to school policy changes; it will take more than just government to bring it about. Another important step would be to deal strongly with the opioid crisis, which is taking a lot of skilled workers out of the workforce.

How can the US reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

Abandon the travel ban and other anti-immigrant policies. Although we do have to realize that as developing countries develop, educated workers from those countries are going to be more likely to want to go back home and that's something we will have to adjust to.

Lauren Kelly Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, College of Education

How can the US reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

When considering ways to increase worker production, one-stop work centers come to mind. These centers often provide 4 types of service including, a list of job opportunities, training in job readiness and skills, counseling on how to manage work-family responsibilities, and advice on work supports (e.g.: EITC, affordable health insurance, etc). The problem I have witnessed is that often, people are unaware of these centers. If a family does not have the income for internet access, how are they supposed to find websites and information regarding these centers? Disseminating information and reaching vulnerable populations (e.g.: immigrant families) is often the most difficult part. Organizations could increase awareness through flyers placed in areas know to inhabit low-income and/or immigrant families to attract those seeking employment who otherwise, would not know how to access this information.

There is often a misconception (or stigma) that low-income parents are not actively seeking work however, we know this is not true. As a society, we need to change the discourse and preconceptions of unemployed families. This is essential because if we continue to live with our biases, we misjudge others which prevents them from achieving their goals including career opportunities. Most families pursue all avenues to provide opportunities for their families but may lack skills required for open positions. Thus, these one-stop work centers can be of paramount importance for those seeking work.

Vicki L. Baker Professor, Albion College

Should local authorities target policies and programs to attract highly educated people? If so, what works?

Yes, a well-educated workforce (and population) has implications at the local, regional, and state levels. In order to attract highly educated individuals, local and state governments can invest in public infrastructure, partner with local colleges and universities on public programming, and should seek to contribute to economic development initiatives which also improves the state economy. Strong education opportunities at the k-12 and higher education levels will attract highly educated individuals as they seek to advance their skills and the education and development of their children.

In your opinion, what is the most important step we can take as a country to develop a more educated and skilled workforce?

We need to increase investments and access to strong public education, that also includes vocational and skilled training. Teachers need to receive better pay and working conditions and our next generation of individuals should not be attending school in unsafe environments with poor conditions. All individuals have the right and should have access to a solid public education along with the needed resources to succeed (e.g., school supplies, appropriate textbooks and classroom technology). More opportunities earlier in the educational experience to learn a trade given our society is lacking skilled trade workers would also be beneficial.

Will the Trump administration’s proposed education budget cuts (to student loans, after school programs, teacher training, etc.) increase or decrease the level of education inequality between cities?

The Trump Administration's education budget cuts will only create greater disparity and inequality in level of education. We should be investing more resources into public k-12 education and into the teachers who deliver that education. So many young individuals benefit from participation in before and after school programming as a means of further learning, growth, and development. We as a country have a moral obligation to invest in our youth and to support the amazing individuals who help educate our children every day.

How can the US reform its immigration policy in order to attract and retain highly educated workers from abroad?

Stop targeting certain religious and ethnic groups - we are already seeing so many stories of highly educated immigrants being targeted (or deported) and we are losing the diversity of those individuals and the intellectual capital they bring to this country. The current administration is creating an environment of fear that is be off putting to others who might otherwise contribute at a high level to our country.

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 school systems.
• Average Quality of Universities: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub “College & University” rankings Report.
• Enrolled Students in Top 973 Universities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub “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 blacks have an advantage over whites, we gave extra credit compared to the metro areas with no gender-based/racial inequality.

 Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, GreatSchools.org, Education Cities.org, Yelp and WalletHub research.

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