Most-Educated Cities in the United States
Seattle tops the list of America's most educated cities, with more than half its population 25 years and older holding at least a bachelor's degree.
Data collected by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey shows that 51.3 percent of 25-and-over Seattleites have a bachelor's degree or higher, closely followed by San Francisco (51.0 percent), Raleigh, North Carolina (49.7 percent), Washington, D.C. (47.7 percent), and Austin, Texas (45.1 percent).
The national college graduation rate is 25.9 percent.
Education levels bode well for a city's economic success. More than half of America's 20 most educated cities also rank at the top of the list of the country's most prosperous cities, not surprising given that college graduates earn an average of nearly $2.1 million in their lifetimes, almost twice as much as those with only a high school diploma.
With a median household income of $71,765, residents of San Jose, California, earn more, on average, than any other city in the country. San Jose residents are also well-educated. With 37.3% of its population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, San Jose ranks number 13 on America’s list of most-educated cities. San Franciscans are consistent, placing second in both educational attainment and income ($60,031).
Those smarty Seattleites? They have the eighth highest median household income in the U.S.
Here's how educational attainment compares to median household income in the 20 most-educated cities in America, listed in order of education rank:
City, in order of education rank
Percent of population with college degree or higher
Median household income & (rank)
1. Seattle, WA
51.3
$46,650 (8)
2. San Francisco, CA
51.0
$60,031 (2)
3. Raleigh, NC
49.7
$47,878 (7)
4. Washington, DC
47.7
$46,574 (9)
5. Austin, TX
45.1
$45,508 (15)
6. Atlanta, GA
42.9
$37,385 (50)
7. Minneapolis, MN
41.1
$44,116 (20)
8. Boston, MA
40.9
$45,892 (13)
9. Lexington-Fayette, KY
39.2
$38,322 (43)
10. San Diego, CA
39.0
$51,382 (5)
11. Portland, OR
37.8
$41,128 (28)
12. Oakland, CA
37.7
$46,190 (11)
13. San Jose, CA
37.3
$71,765 (1)
14. Charlotte, NC
37.2
$46,082 (12)
15. Denver, CO
35.9
$43,777 (21)
16. Honolulu, HI
34.4
$46,500 (10)
17. Colorado Springs, CO
34.1
$45,388 (16)
18. Pittsburgh, PA
33.6
$31,910 (59)
18. St. Paul, MN
33.6
$38,731 (41)
19. Cincinnati, OH
33.5
$31,960 (58)
19. Virginia Beach, VA
33.5
$55,781 (4)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
Clearly many factors will determine a city's relative prosperity. But just as a well-educated individual has a leg up in the workforce, high educational achievement among a city's population seems to give it clear advantages in developing its civic and financial health.
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