Take a look at our deep dive into the U.S. cities with the most and least educated populations.

Education is often an important factor in determining the health of local economies. The quality of local education, as well as the size and reach of schools, can directly influence the number and type of businesses, jobs, and social opportunities in an area. In our deep dive into education in the United States, we took a look at educational attainment levels across different metropolitan areas around the nation and examined which cities were the most and least educated.

Our study was based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. We analyzed data from 511 metropolitan areas and assigned a composite score to each one based on a proprietary scoring model. Our scoring model assigned points to each city based on the percentage of the population that had attained different educational attainment levels. These educational attainment levels were: high school graduate, associate’s degree holder, bachelor’s degree holder, and graduate or professional degree holder. Graduate or professional degrees include master’s degrees, doctoral graduate degrees, and professional degrees like juris doctor degrees and master of social work degrees.

Our study only included adults aged 25 or older in the study. Nationwide, 219.8 million people fit into this category. Out of those people, 197.4 million, or 89.8% of adults aged 25 or older, have attained at least a high school diploma. Also, 76.9 million people, or 35.0%, have at least a bachelor’s degree, and 28.7 million people, or 13.1%, have a graduate or professional degree.

Most Educated Cities by City Size

The population used for each city was the number of adults aged 25 or older within the metropolitan statistical area. Cities were segmented into small (<150,000 population), midsize (population between 150,000 and 500,000), and large (over 500,000 population) based on these adjusted numbers.

The majority of the most educated cities in America were small and midsize cities with major universities, but the top 50 consisted of a fairly even mix of small, midsize, and large cities.

Most Educated Cities in America

1. Boulder, CO

Boulder is a midsize city in northern Colorado that is home to the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Naropa University, a private university. University of Colorado, Boulder, is the largest university in Colorado and enrolls approximately 36,000 students every year. It is known for its research and graduate school programs and is the only university in the Rocky Mountain region to gain acceptance into the Association of American Universities. Outside the school, Boulder fields a lively atmosphere with plenty of outdoor opportunities, including ski slopes and miles of walking and biking trails.

In our study, Boulder was the city with the highest percentage of people attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher at 62.5% of the metro area population. Boulder had the fourth-highest percentage of population with a graduate or professional degree at 27.8%.

2. Lawrence, KS

Lawrence, Kansas, is a small city in northeast Kansas that is home to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, a tribal university. The University of Kansas is the largest public university in the state and enrolls more than 27,000 students every year. It is known for its comprehensive research and teaching facilities, and it offers more than 170 different academic programs between its undergraduate and graduate schools. The sizable student population at the University of Kansas lends Lawrence a small college town feel.

Lawrence had the second-highest percentage of population with a graduate or professional degree at 29.3%. It also had the third-highest percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher at 56.2%, and the third-highest percentage with a high school diploma or higher at 96.6%. Overall, Lawrence was the most educated small city in the study.

3. Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a midsize city in southern Michigan that is home to the University of Michigan, one of the top research universities in the nation and the oldest university in Michigan. Much of life and work in Ann Arbor revolve around the University of Michigan, which enrolls over 45,000 students per year and serves as an employer for over 30,000 people in the region. Ann Arbor is also a college town like many of the other cities in the top five.

Ann Arbor is the second-most educated midsize city in our study. 95.3% of people in the Ann Arbor metropolitan area have attained a high school diploma or higher. 56.4% of the population have attained at least a bachelor’s degree, which is the second-highest percentage for that educational attainment level in the nation. Lastly, 29.2% of people in the Ann Arbor metropolitan area have a graduate or professional degree, the third-highest percentage in the nation.

4. Ithaca, NY

Ithaca is a small city in central New York known for being the host of Cornell University, an Ivy League school and one of the top universities in the nation. Every year, more than 20,000 students study at Cornell University, directly bolstering the local economy and businesses. The large influx of students is also supported by students at Ithaca College, a private university, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. Together, these three schools contribute to the high rates of educational attainment in the Ithaca metropolitan area.

Among all cities in our study, Ithaca had the highest percentage with a graduate or professional degree at 30.9% of the metro area population. It also had the sixth-highest percentage with a bachelor’s degree or higher at 51.9%, and one of the highest percentages with a high school diploma or higher at 93.7% of the metro area population.

5. Corvallis, OR

Corvallis, Oregon, is a small city in western Oregon that serves as the home of Oregon State University, Oregon’s largest public research university. Oregon State University is home to more than 30,000 students every school year and functions as a major employer in the area like many other college towns. Located only an hour away from the Pacific Coast and surrounded by lush forests, Corvallis enjoys an amenable small town atmosphere with a variety of outdoor opportunities.

Corvallis had the fourth-highest percentage with a high school diploma or higher at 96.1% of the metro area population. It also had the fourth-highest percentage of people with at least a bachelor’s degree at 53.4% of the population.

Top 50 Most Educated Cities

Listed below are the top 50 most educated cities in the U.S. We include the population aged 25 and over, along with the percentage of residents with the following education levels: less than 9th grade, 9th to 12th grade with no diploma, high school graduates, some college but no degree, associate’s degree holders, bachelor’s degree holders, and graduate or professional degree holders. We also list our educational attainment score for each city.

Rank City City Size Total Score Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no diploma High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree Population 25 years old and over 1 Boulder, CO Midsize 70.0 1.4% 2.8% 10.9% 16.6% 5.7% 34.7% 27.8% 216,163 2 Lawrence, KS Small 68.3 0.9% 2.5% 14.9% 18.9% 6.6% 26.9% 29.3% 71,392 3 Ann Arbor, MI Midsize 67.9 1.0% 3.7% 14.4% 17.4% 7.1% 27.2% 29.2% 232,636 4 Ithaca, NY Small 66.3 2.9% 3.4% 19.3% 13.2% 9.4% 21.0% 30.9% 59,759 5 Corvallis, OR Small 66.3 2.0% 1.9% 14.9% 20.6% 7.2% 28.2% 25.2% 55,736 6 Ames, IA Small 66.2 1.0% 1.8% 16.0% 16.9% 13.5% 28.9% 21.8% 51,425 7 Iowa City, IA Small 64.9 2.4% 2.3% 16.9% 18.8% 10.3% 24.2% 25.1% 103,619 8 Columbia, MO Small 63.4 1.5% 3.3% 19.0% 20.6% 7.3% 26.0% 22.4% 107,408 9 Washington, DC Large 63.4 4.2% 4.5% 17.9% 15.8% 6.1% 26.1% 25.4% 4,268,088 10 San Jose, CA Large 63.2 6.1% 4.8% 14.1% 14.8% 7.4% 28.0% 24.8% 1,390,276 11 Bozeman, MT Small 63.1 1.5% 1.8% 17.9% 23.3% 7.0% 30.2% 18.3% 71,796 12 Fort Collins, CO Midsize 62.8 1.3% 3.5% 16.5% 21.7% 9.3% 28.3% 19.3% 232,676 13 State College, PA Small 62.6 2.2% 3.2% 28.9% 11.6% 7.4% 23.5% 23.2% 97,947 14 Boston, MA Large 62.2 4.3% 4.0% 21.1% 14.4% 7.0% 26.4% 22.7% 3,417,972 15 San Francisco, CA Large 62.0 5.1% 4.8% 15.7% 16.8% 6.6% 29.9% 21.1% 3,432,405 16 Madison, WI Midsize 61.9 1.9% 3.4% 20.8% 18.0% 10.2% 27.1% 18.6% 443,182 17 Durham, NC Midsize 61.8 4.7% 4.7% 19.2% 15.3% 8.0% 24.4% 23.7% 391,802 18 Raleigh, NC Large 61.5 3.3% 4.3% 17.6% 18.0% 8.8% 30.3% 17.7% 914,534 19 Bridgeport, CT Large 61.1 5.4% 4.5% 20.6% 14.5% 6.7% 26.8% 21.6% 645,814 20 Burlington, VT Small 61.0 1.3% 4.9% 22.9% 16.2% 9.0% 28.6% 17.1% 149,236 21 Manhattan, KS Small 60.9 1.3% 4.1% 20.5% 22.3% 6.9% 25.7% 19.1% 51,924 22 Charlottesville, VA Midsize 60.7 2.9% 7.6% 21.2% 15.6% 4.8% 23.9% 24.0% 159,172 23 Bloomington, IL Small 60.4 1.0% 3.2% 25.3% 19.4% 8.1% 26.8% 16.2% 117,675 24 Barnstable Town, MA Midsize 60.4 1.3% 4.2% 24.0% 18.7% 10.0% 22.6% 19.2% 166,596 25 Champaign, IL Small 60.2 1.3% 4.8% 23.0% 20.2% 8.8% 20.8% 21.0% 140,821 26 Bloomington, IN Small 60.1 1.7% 5.3% 23.6% 18.2% 8.5% 21.9% 20.8% 98,957 27 Seattle, WA Large 59.8 3.0% 4.1% 19.1% 20.8% 9.3% 26.8% 16.8% 2,769,714 28 Portland, ME Midsize 59.7 2.0% 2.9% 24.7% 19.5% 9.5% 25.8% 15.7% 394,599 29 Minneapolis, MN Large 59.6 2.7% 3.5% 20.9% 19.8% 10.5% 27.8% 14.8% 2,466,476 30 Gainesville, FL Midsize 59.5 3.9% 4.0% 21.4% 17.8% 11.4% 23.2% 18.4% 181,137 31 Missoula, MT Small 59.5 1.2% 3.2% 20.3% 25.1% 10.6% 23.8% 15.9% 81,094 32 Denver, CO Large 59.4 3.7% 4.9% 19.6% 19.3% 7.8% 28.3% 16.5% 2,039,409 33 Austin, TX Large 59.2 4.9% 5.0% 18.7% 18.5% 6.3% 29.6% 16.9% 1,458,805 34 Provo, UT Midsize 59.1 2.0% 3.6% 17.1% 24.9% 11.0% 28.3% 13.1% 315,665 35 Rochester, MN Small 59.1 2.6% 3.6% 23.2% 17.8% 13.7% 23.0% 16.1% 149,921 36 Lincoln, NE Midsize 58.9 2.9% 3.2% 21.6% 20.0% 11.7% 26.1% 14.4% 208,853 37 Helena, MT Small 58.6 1.5% 4.1% 22.1% 22.9% 10.4% 23.0% 16.0% 56,224 38 Pinehurst, NC Small 58.6 2.6% 4.6% 20.9% 20.5% 11.8% 23.3% 16.3% 71,231 39 Colorado Springs, CO Midsize 58.2 2.1% 4.5% 19.7% 23.8% 11.3% 23.0% 15.6% 483,326 40 Olympia, WA Midsize 58.2 1.4% 3.8% 21.6% 24.9% 10.0% 23.1% 15.1% 202,731 41 Albany, NY Large 58.2 2.4% 5.1% 25.8% 16.8% 12.1% 20.1% 17.8% 608,198 42 Fargo, ND Midsize 58.1 2.7% 3.1% 20.7% 20.3% 15.0% 28.1% 10.2% 154,615 43 Baltimore, MD Large 58.1 3.0% 5.8% 24.7% 18.5% 6.7% 22.7% 18.6% 1,943,831 44 Hartford, CT Large 58.0 3.4% 5.0% 26.1% 16.6% 8.8% 22.1% 18.0% 842,589 45 Greenfield Town, MA Small 57.8 2.2% 5.7% 25.3% 18.1% 9.2% 22.7% 16.8% 53,672 46 Portland, OR Large 57.7 3.1% 4.7% 20.0% 23.0% 9.2% 24.9% 15.1% 1,750,298 47 Hilton Head Island, SC Midsize 57.6 2.3% 5.9% 25.1% 19.0% 7.8% 23.3% 16.6% 153,838 48 Des Moines, IA Midsize 57.5 3.3% 3.5% 24.6% 19.0% 10.9% 27.0% 11.9% 434,042 49 La Crosse, WI Small 57.5 1.9% 2.4% 27.6% 21.3% 11.6% 21.8% 13.5% 89,492 50 Morgantown, WV Small 57.4 1.6% 5.4% 32.9% 16.0% 6.0% 18.7% 19.3% 91,251

Top 50 Least Educated Cities

Listed below are the top 50 least educated cities in the U.S.

Rank City City Size Total Score Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no diploma High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree Population 25 years old and over 1 Hobbs, NM Small 35.5 11.9% 16.6% 31.3% 22.4% 6.2% 6.4% 5.2% 41,300 2 El Centro, CA Small 35.8 14.4% 15.6% 25.5% 24.1% 6.2% 9.5% 4.6% 111,825 3 Merced, CA Midsize 36.1 17.0% 13.2% 27.2% 21.9% 6.1% 9.3% 5.4% 163,014 4 Madera, CA Small 36.1 20.3% 11.1% 23.2% 22.2% 7.9% 10.8% 4.6% 99,401 5 McAllen, TX Midsize 36.2 20.0% 13.7% 24.0% 18.5% 5.2% 13.2% 5.5% 489,388 6 Laredo, TX Midsize 36.8 18.7% 15.4% 21.4% 17.3% 7.3% 14.7% 5.2% 153,546 7 Brownsville, TX Midsize 37.1 17.3% 13.2% 27.6% 17.8% 7.2% 11.8% 5.2% 250,704 8 Dalton, GA Small 37.1 14.3% 13.8% 32.1% 17.9% 6.7% 10.4% 4.8% 93,514 9 Visalia, CA Midsize 37.6 18.5% 10.4% 25.5% 21.4% 8.3% 10.1% 5.8% 275,220 10 Opelousas, LA Small 38.2 9.0% 14.2% 41.6% 16.9% 4.6% 8.7% 5.1% 53,097 11 Gallup, NM Small 38.5 7.6% 14.2% 34.1% 25.7% 6.5% 6.1% 5.8% 44,305 12 Hanford, CA Small 38.5 12.6% 13.3% 25.0% 24.4% 10.0% 10.1% 4.7% 94,303 13 Bakersfield, CA Large 38.7 12.5% 13.7% 26.8% 23.0% 7.8% 10.4% 5.8% 547,240 14 Yakima, WA Midsize 39.1 13.9% 12.7% 27.7% 20.7% 8.3% 10.2% 6.6% 152,659 15 Odessa, TX Small 39.3 10.2% 13.9% 30.0% 23.0% 6.9% 10.8% 5.3% 96,980 16 Martinsville, VA Small 39.3 9.3% 13.9% 33.5% 19.3% 9.9% 9.9% 4.3% 47,747 17 Lumberton, NC Small 39.4 8.0% 14.7% 30.0% 23.0% 10.6% 9.2% 4.5% 85,742 18 Yuma, AZ Small 39.6 11.7% 12.7% 27.1% 23.6% 8.0% 11.5% 5.3% 135,113 19 Roswell, NM Small 39.8 12.8% 10.4% 25.2% 28.1% 7.4% 10.2% 5.9% 42,081 20 Moses Lake, WA Small 39.8 15.6% 8.4% 26.3% 24.6% 7.8% 12.6% 4.7% 59,642 21 Fort Payne, AL Small 39.9 13.9% 10.3% 29.8% 19.8% 11.4% 8.2% 6.7% 48,169 22 Houma, LA Small 40.4 9.2% 12.1% 39.5% 17.4% 5.3% 10.6% 6.0% 139,779 23 Talladega, AL Small 40.6 3.6% 15.2% 35.3% 24.8% 6.5% 9.2% 5.3% 66,908 24 Cullman, AL Small 41.1 4.7% 12.9% 31.1% 26.8% 12.5% 8.4% 3.7% 58,319 25 Roanoke Rapids, NC Small 41.3 6.4% 11.7% 40.2% 18.6% 9.0% 8.9% 5.3% 50,219 26 Modesto, CA Midsize 41.3 9.9% 9.9% 31.0% 25.0% 7.7% 11.4% 5.2% 348,796 27 Lufkin, TX Small 41.4 10.5% 8.6% 31.4% 25.2% 7.4% 12.4% 4.4% 57,205 28 Vineland, NJ Small 41.5 8.1% 12.8% 35.8% 17.6% 9.2% 9.8% 6.8% 102,903 29 North Wilkesboro, NC Small 41.6 6.8% 13.7% 28.7% 23.2% 11.0% 11.7% 4.9% 49,741 30 Danville, VA Small 41.6 6.1% 11.8% 36.2% 22.2% 8.4% 10.4% 4.9% 72,884 31 Athens, TX Small 41.7 4.8% 12.4% 33.4% 28.0% 5.2% 11.8% 4.6% 57,739 32 Show Low, AZ Small 41.8 5.8% 10.5% 31.3% 30.5% 7.6% 8.2% 6.0% 72,071 33 Palatka, FL Small 41.8 4.9% 9.9% 43.5% 18.5% 10.8% 8.2% 4.0% 52,404 34 Yuba City, CA Small 42.2 10.0% 10.8% 21.8% 28.4% 10.9% 11.9% 6.1% 113,305 35 Stockton, CA Midsize 42.3 11.0% 8.9% 30.8% 21.5% 9.9% 12.4% 5.5% 475,624 36 Sevierville, TN Small 42.3 5.8% 9.4% 36.5% 26.0% 7.4% 9.6% 5.2% 70,273 37 Morristown, TN Small 42.5 8.6% 9.6% 39.0% 17.7% 8.1% 10.9% 6.2% 83,120 38 Hermiston, OR Small 42.5 10.2% 8.8% 29.7% 23.8% 9.7% 11.9% 5.8% 57,129 39 London, KY Small 42.6 7.0% 11.0% 39.4% 18.8% 6.5% 8.9% 8.3% 84,821 40 Salinas, CA Midsize 42.6 18.1% 9.5% 21.0% 18.1% 8.5% 14.7% 10.1% 277,909 41 Lake City, FL Small 42.6 5.2% 8.7% 36.9% 25.7% 10.9% 7.9% 4.7% 49,290 42 Russellville, AR Small 42.6 6.1% 10.8% 38.1% 20.9% 6.5% 12.4% 5.2% 56,350 43 Rome, GA Small 42.6 6.7% 11.9% 36.8% 18.5% 9.2% 10.0% 7.0% 65,529 44 Fresno, CA Large 42.7 13.6% 9.7% 22.6% 23.0% 9.3% 14.4% 7.4% 614,887 45 LaGrange, GA Small 42.8 5.4% 9.2% 38.2% 25.7% 5.6% 10.0% 5.9% 44,510 46 Mount Airy, NC Small 43.1 8.2% 10.5% 30.7% 20.7% 12.5% 12.0% 5.4% 50,905 47 Marion, OH Small 43.1 2.9% 6.8% 47.7% 23.7% 7.7% 6.9% 4.4% 45,697 48 Lake Havasu City, AZ Midsize 43.1 3.6% 9.4% 34.5% 30.0% 8.3% 9.7% 4.6% 160,767 49 Coos Bay, OR Small 43.1 2.3% 11.9% 27.4% 35.1% 7.8% 10.2% 5.3% 48,685 50 Portsmouth, OH Small 43.2 3.2% 10.8% 44.9% 18.4% 7.6% 9.1% 6.0% 52,325

Cities with the Most High School Graduates or Above

Cities with the highest proportion of high school graduates are listed in this following table. The top 10 cities were mostly small cities, many of which host universities.

Rank City Percent high school graduate or higher 1 Ames, IA 97.1% 2 Bozeman, MT 96.7% 3 Lawrence, KS 96.6% 4 Corvallis, OR 96.1% 5 Marquette, MI 96.1% 6 Truckee, CA 96.0% 7 Billings, MT 95.9% 8 Bloomington, IL 95.8% 9 Boulder, CO 95.8% 10 La Crosse, WI 95.8% 11 Missoula, MT 95.7% 12 Bremerton, WA 95.4% 13 Oak Harbor, WA 95.4% 14 Ann Arbor, MI 95.3% 15 Iowa City, IA 95.3% 16 Columbia, MO 95.2% 17 Portland, ME 95.2% 18 Fort Collins, CO 95.1% 19 Madison, WI 94.8% 20 Kalispell, MT 94.7% 21 Olympia, WA 94.7% 22 State College, PA 94.7% 23 Manhattan, KS 94.6% 24 Barnstable Town, MA 94.5% 25 Bismarck, ND 94.4% 26 Helena, MT 94.4% 27 Pittsburgh, PA 94.4% 28 Provo, UT 94.4% 29 Rapid City, SD 94.4% 30 Anchorage, AK 94.2% 31 Duluth, MN 94.2% 32 Fargo, ND 94.2% 33 Brainerd, MN 94.1% 34 Cheyenne, WY 94.1% 35 Grand Forks, ND 94.1% 36 Traverse City, MI 94.0% 37 Burlington, VT 93.9% 38 Lincoln, NE 93.9% 39 Cedar Rapids, IA 93.8% 40 Champaign, IL 93.8% 41 Midland, MI 93.8% 42 Minneapolis, MN 93.8% 43 Port Angeles, WA 93.8% 44 Stevens Point, WI 93.8% 45 Augusta, ME 93.7% 46 Concord, NH 93.7% 47 Eau Claire, WI 93.7% 48 Ithaca, NY 93.7% 49 Lewiston, ID 93.7% 50 Rochester, MN 93.7% 51 Appleton, WI 93.6% 52 Casper, WY 93.6% 53 Lansing, MI 93.6% 54 Fairbanks, AK 93.5% 55 Torrington, CT 93.5% 56 Colorado Springs, CO 93.4% 57 Logan, UT 93.4% 58 Sioux Falls, SD 93.4% 59 Spokane, WA 93.4% 60 Des Moines, IA 93.3% 61 Muskegon, MI 93.3% 62 St. George, UT 93.3% 63 Sheboygan, WI 93.2% 64 Ogden, UT 93.1% 65 Bloomington, IN 93.0% 66 Claremont, NH 93.0% 67 Mankato, MN 93.0% 68 Monroe, MI 93.0% 69 Morgantown, WV 93.0% 70 Pittsfield, MA 93.0% 71 Seattle, WA 92.9% 72 Pinehurst, NC 92.8% 73 Quincy, IL 92.8% 74 Clarksville, TN 92.7% 75 Grants Pass, OR 92.6% 76 Keene, NH 92.6% 77 Pensacola, FL 92.6% 78 Springfield, IL 92.6% 79 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 92.6% 80 Albany, NY 92.5% 81 Altoona, PA 92.5% 82 Bend, OR 92.5% 83 Green Bay, WI 92.5% 84 Pocatello, ID 92.5% 85 Watertown, WI 92.5% 86 Wheeling, WV 92.5% 87 Bellingham, WA 92.4% 88 Grand Rapids, MI 92.4% 89 Hilo, HI 92.4% 90 Kahului, HI 92.4% 91 Manchester, NH 92.4% 92 Ocean City, NJ 92.4% 93 Raleigh, NC 92.4% 94 Stillwater, OK 92.4% 95 Boise City, ID 92.3% 96 Idaho Falls, ID 92.3% 97 Akron, OH 92.2% 98 Coeur d'Alene, ID 92.2% 99 Dubuque, IA 92.2% 100 Great Falls, MT 92.2% 101 Johnstown, PA 92.2% 102 Kansas City, MO 92.2% 103 St. Louis, MO 92.2% 104 Wausau, WI 92.2% 105 Wilmington, NC 92.2% 106 Columbus, OH 92.1% 107 Gainesville, FL 92.1% 108 Greenfield Town, MA 92.1% 109 Oshkosh, WI 92.1% 110 Portland, OR 92.1% 111 Auburn, AL 92.0% 112 Bangor, ME 92.0% 113 Fond du Lac, WI 92.0% 114 Kalamazoo, MI 92.0% 115 Kapaa, HI 92.0% 116 Palm Bay, FL 92.0% 117 Peoria, IL 92.0% 118 St. Cloud, MN 92.0% 119 Virginia Beach, VA 92.0% 120 Waterloo, IA 92.0% 121 Bloomsburg, PA 91.9% 122 Canton, OH 91.9% 123 Erie, PA 91.9% 124 Eugene, OR 91.9% 125 North Port, FL 91.9% 126 Athens, OH 91.8% 127 Charleston, SC 91.8% 128 Findlay, OH 91.8% 129 Hilton Head Island, SC 91.8% 130 Lafayette, IN 91.8% 131 Meadville, PA 91.8% 132 Urban Honolulu, HI 91.8% 133 Boston, MA 91.7% 134 Columbus, IN 91.7% 135 Topeka, KS 91.7% 136 Cumberland, MD 91.6% 137 Norwich, CT 91.6% 138 Omaha, NE 91.6% 139 Watertown, NY 91.6% 140 Carbondale, IL 91.5% 141 Hartford, CT 91.5% 142 Milwaukee, WI 91.5% 143 The Villages, FL 91.5% 144 Buffalo, NY 91.4% 145 Cincinnati, OH 91.4% 146 Denver, CO 91.4% 147 Beaver Dam, WI 91.3% 148 Crestview, FL 91.3% 149 Dayton, OH 91.3% 150 Glenwood Springs, CO 91.3% 151 Janesville, WI 91.3% 152 Mount Pleasant, MI 91.3% 153 Salt Lake City, UT 91.3% 154 Washington, DC 91.3% 155 Worcester, MA 91.3% 156 Baltimore, MD 91.2% 157 Battle Creek, MI 91.2% 158 Deltona, FL 91.2% 159 Marinette, WI 91.2% 160 Owensboro, KY 91.2% 161 Terre Haute, IN 91.2% 162 Eureka, CA 91.1% 163 Manitowoc, WI 91.1% 164 Philadelphia, PA 91.1% 165 San Luis Obispo, CA 91.1% 166 Williamsport, PA 91.1% 167 Davenport, IA 91.0% 168 Harrisburg, PA 91.0% 169 Saginaw, MI 91.0% 170 Chico, CA 90.9% 171 Cleveland, OH 90.9% 172 Flint, MI 90.9% 173 Lima, OH 90.9% 174 Columbia, SC 90.8% 175 Evansville, IN 90.8% 176 Mount Vernon, WA 90.8% 177 Myrtle Beach, SC 90.8% 178 New Castle, PA 90.8% 179 Racine, WI 90.8% 180 Toledo, OH 90.8% 181 Asheville, NC 90.7% 182 California, MD 90.7% 183 Jacksonville, FL 90.7% 184 Morehead City, NC 90.7% 185 Sandusky, OH 90.7% 186 Savannah, GA 90.7% 187 Durham, NC 90.6% 188 Faribault, MN 90.6% 189 Fayetteville, NC 90.6% 190 Hot Springs, AR 90.6% 191 Kingston, NY 90.6% 192 Springfield, MO 90.6% 193 Weirton, WV 90.6% 194 Binghamton, NY 90.5% 195 Corning, NY 90.5% 196 Danville, IL 90.5% 197 Grand Junction, CO 90.5% 198 Jackson, MI 90.5% 199 Plattsburgh, NY 90.5% 200 Rochester, NY 90.5% 201 Scranton, PA 90.5% 202 Indiana, PA 90.4% 203 Jacksonville, NC 90.4% 204 Jefferson City, MO 90.4% 205 Lexington, KY 90.4% 206 New Haven, CT 90.4% 207 Owosso, MI 90.4% 208 Wichita, KS 90.4% 209 Allentown, PA 90.3% 210 Marion, OH 90.3% 211 Minot, ND 90.3% 212 Paducah, KY 90.3% 213 Parkersburg, WV 90.3% 214 Syracuse, NY 90.3% 215 Daphne, AL 90.2% 216 Detroit, MI 90.2% 217 Hutchinson, KS 90.2% 218 Key West, FL 90.2% 219 Longview, WA 90.2% 220 Ogdensburg, NY 90.2% 221 Panama City, FL 90.2% 222 Salem, OH 90.2% 223 Whitewater, WI 90.2% 224 Atlanta, GA 90.1% 225 Austin, TX 90.1% 226 Bridgeport, CT 90.1% 227 Holland, MI 90.1% 228 Huntsville, AL 90.1% 229 Killeen, TX 90.1% 230 Little Rock, AR 90.1% 231 Lynchburg, VA 90.1% 232 Pueblo, CO 90.1% 233 San Francisco, CA 90.1% 234 East Stroudsburg, PA 90.0% 235 Gulfport, MS 90.0% 236 Hinesville, GA 90.0% 237 Nashville, TN 90.0% 238 York, PA 90.0% 239 Youngstown, OH 90.0% 240 Sherman, TX 89.9% 241 Blacksburg, VA 89.8% 242 Homosassa Springs, FL 89.8% 243 Lewiston, ME 89.8% 244 Louisville, KY 89.8% 245 Reno, NV 89.8% 246 Tampa, FL 89.8% 247 Tulsa, OK 89.8% 248 Sacramento, CA 89.7% 249 Somerset, PA 89.7% 250 Sunbury, PA 89.7% 251 Tuscaloosa, AL 89.7% 252 Utica, NY 89.7% 253 Adrian, MI 89.6% 254 Cape Coral, FL 89.6% 255 Decatur, IL 89.6% 256 Indianapolis, IN 89.6% 257 Medford, OR 89.6% 258 Monroe, LA 89.6% 259 Niles, MI 89.6% 260 Oklahoma City, OK 89.6% 261 Prescott, AZ 89.6% 262 Roanoke, VA 89.6% 263 Charlottesville, VA 89.5% 264 Elizabethtown, KY 89.5% 265 Jackson, MS 89.5% 266 Orangeburg, SC 89.5% 267 Orlando, FL 89.5% 268 Richmond, VA 89.5% 269 South Bend, IN 89.5% 270 St. Joseph, MO 89.5% 271 Centralia, WA 89.4% 272 Charlotte, NC 89.4% 273 Enid, OK 89.4% 274 Flagstaff, AZ 89.4% 275 Gettysburg, PA 89.4% 276 Olean, NY 89.4% 277 Punta Gorda, FL 89.4% 278 Tallahassee, FL 89.3% 279 Bay City, MI 89.2% 280 Fort Wayne, IN 89.2% 281 Roseburg, OR 89.2% 282 San Jose, CA 89.1% 283 Shawnee, OK 89.1% 284 Texarkana, TX 89.1% 285 Vallejo, CA 89.1% 286 Zanesville, OH 89.1% 287 Birmingham, AL 89.0% 288 Chicago, IL 89.0% 289 Greeley, CO 89.0% 290 New Bern, NC 89.0% 291 Ottawa, IL 89.0% 292 Huntington, WV 88.9% 293 Knoxville, TN 88.9% 294 Pottsville, PA 88.9% 295 Frankfort, KY 88.8% 296 Jamestown, NY 88.8% 297 Pine Bluff, AR 88.8% 298 Salisbury, MD 88.8% 299 Santa Rosa, CA 88.8% 300 Carson City, NV 88.7% 301 Sebastian, FL 88.6% 302 Sioux City, IA 88.6% 303 Athens, GA 88.5% 304 Auburn, NY 88.5% 305 Chambersburg, PA 88.5% 306 Glens Falls, NY 88.5% 307 Muncie, IN 88.5% 308 San Angelo, TX 88.5% 309 Albuquerque, NM 88.4% 310 Redding, CA 88.4% 311 Santa Fe, NM 88.4% 312 Grand Island, NE 88.3% 313 Tucson, AZ 88.3% 314 Baton Rouge, LA 88.2% 315 Chattanooga, TN 88.2% 316 Hagerstown, MD 88.2% 317 Lawton, OK 88.2% 318 Michigan City, IN 88.2% 319 Warner Robins, GA 88.2% 320 Cape Girardeau, MO 88.1% 321 Charleston, WV 88.1% 322 Gadsden, AL 88.1% 323 Port St. Lucie, FL 88.1% 324 Rockford, IL 88.1% 325 Branson, MO 88.0% 326 Burlington, NC 88.0% 327 Cookeville, TN 88.0% 328 Phoenix, AZ 88.0% 329 Springfield, OH 88.0% 330 Memphis, TN 87.9% 331 Providence, RI 87.9% 332 Walla Walla, WA 87.9% 333 Atlantic City, NJ 87.8% 334 Clarksburg, WV 87.8% 335 DuBois, PA 87.8% 336 Elmira, NY 87.8% 337 Florence, AL 87.8% 338 Rocky Mount, NC 87.8% 339 Ukiah, CA 87.8% 340 Winchester, VA 87.8% 341 Aberdeen, WA 87.7% 342 Albany, OR 87.7% 343 Augusta, GA 87.7% 344 Jackson, TN 87.7% 345 Kokomo, IN 87.7% 346 Lebanon, PA 87.7% 347 New Orleans, LA 87.7% 348 Ocala, FL 87.7% 349 Richmond, KY 87.7% 350 Wichita Falls, TX 87.7% 351 Greenville, NC 87.6% 352 Richmond, IN 87.6% 353 Columbus, GA 87.5% 354 Joplin, MO 87.5% 355 Kankakee, IL 87.5% 356 Johnson City, TN 87.4% 357 Sierra Vista, AZ 87.4% 358 Wooster, OH 87.4% 359 Abilene, TX 87.3% 360 Jefferson, GA 87.3% 361 San Diego, CA 87.3% 362 Staunton, VA 87.3% 363 College Station, TX 87.2% 364 Greensboro, NC 87.2% 365 Muskogee, OK 87.2% 366 Springfield, MA 87.2% 367 Dunn, NC 87.1% 368 Klamath Falls, OR 87.1% 369 Lake Charles, LA 87.1% 370 Lake Havasu City, AZ 87.1% 371 Naples, FL 87.1% 372 New York, NY 87.1% 373 Amarillo, TX 87.0% 374 Warsaw, IN 87.0% 375 Trenton, NJ 86.9% 376 Fayetteville, AR 86.8% 377 Hammond, LA 86.8% 378 Jonesboro, AR 86.8% 379 Kingsport, TN 86.8% 380 Shreveport, LA 86.8% 381 Spartanburg, SC 86.8% 382 Farmington, MO 86.7% 383 Alexandria, LA 86.6% 384 Sebring, FL 86.6% 385 Elizabeth City, NC 86.5% 386 Montgomery, AL 86.5% 387 Greenville, SC 86.4% 388 New Philadelphia, OH 86.4% 389 Reading, PA 86.4% 390 Mansfield, OH 86.3% 391 Santa Cruz, CA 86.3% 392 Lubbock, TX 86.2% 393 Winston-Salem, NC 86.2% 394 Dallas, TX 86.1% 395 Harrisonburg, VA 86.1% 396 Lake City, FL 86.1% 397 Miami, FL 86.1% 398 Salem, OR 86.1% 399 Statesboro, GA 86.1% 400 Tyler, TX 86.1% 401 Hattiesburg, MS 86.0% 402 Huntsville, TX 86.0% 403 Meridian, MS 86.0% 404 Portsmouth, OH 86.0% 405 Bowling Green, KY 85.9% 406 Chillicothe, OH 85.9% 407 Las Vegas, NV 85.9% 408 Coos Bay, OR 85.8% 409 Mobile, AL 85.8% 410 Macon, GA 85.7% 411 Napa, CA 85.7% 412 Searcy, AR 85.7% 413 Marshall, TX 85.6% 414 LaGrange, GA 85.4% 415 Victoria, TX 85.4% 416 Farmington, NM 85.3% 417 Marion, IN 85.3% 418 Oxnard, CA 85.3% 419 Sumter, SC 85.3% 420 Tullahoma, TN 85.3% 421 Ashtabula, OH 85.2% 422 Palatka, FL 85.2% 423 Valdosta, GA 85.2% 424 Lakeland, FL 85.1% 425 San Antonio, TX 85.1% 426 Greeneville, TN 85.0% 427 Waco, TX 85.0% 428 Beaumont, TX 84.9% 429 Lancaster, PA 84.9% 430 Dothan, AL 84.8% 431 Seneca, SC 84.8% 432 Anniston, AL 84.7% 433 Longview, TX 84.7% 434 Sevierville, TN 84.7% 435 Alamogordo, NM 84.6% 436 Kennewick, WA 84.6% 437 Bluefield, WV 84.5% 438 Brunswick, GA 84.4% 439 Cleveland, TN 84.3% 440 Goldsboro, NC 84.3% 441 Beckley, WV 84.2% 442 Florence, SC 84.2% 443 Twin Falls, ID 84.1% 444 Clearlake, CA 84.0% 445 Lafayette, LA 84.0% 446 Shelby, NC 84.0% 447 Dover, DE 83.9% 448 Decatur, AL 83.8% 449 Hickory, NC 83.8% 450 Laurel, MS 83.8% 451 Forest City, NC 83.7% 452 Houston, TX 83.7% 453 Show Low, AZ 83.7% 454 Midland, TX 83.6% 455 Fort Smith, AR 83.3% 456 Greenwood, SC 83.3% 457 Russellville, AR 83.1% 458 Tupelo, MS 83.0% 459 Athens, TX 82.9% 460 Albany, GA 82.8% 461 Albertville, AL 82.7% 462 Wenatchee, WA 82.7% 463 Corpus Christi, TX 82.6% 464 Cullman, AL 82.5% 465 Nacogdoches, TX 82.3% 466 Danville, VA 82.1% 467 London, KY 82.0% 468 Morristown, TN 81.9% 469 Roanoke Rapids, NC 81.9% 470 Riverside, CA 81.8% 471 Elkhart, IN 81.7% 472 Santa Maria, CA 81.5% 473 Rome, GA 81.4% 474 Mount Airy, NC 81.3% 475 Talladega, AL 81.1% 476 Hermiston, OR 81.0% 477 Los Angeles, CA 81.0% 478 Lufkin, TX 80.9% 479 Modesto, CA 80.2% 480 Stockton, CA 80.2% 481 Wilson, NC 80.0% 482 Las Cruces, NM 79.6% 483 North Wilkesboro, NC 79.5% 484 Vineland, NJ 79.2% 485 Yuba City, CA 79.2% 486 Houma, LA 78.8% 487 Gainesville, GA 78.7% 488 Gallup, NM 78.2% 489 El Paso, TX 77.9% 490 Lumberton, NC 77.3% 491 Martinsville, VA 76.8% 492 Opelousas, LA 76.8% 493 Roswell, NM 76.8% 494 Fresno, CA 76.7% 495 Moses Lake, WA 76.0% 496 Odessa, TX 75.9% 497 Fort Payne, AL 75.7% 498 Yuma, AZ 75.6% 499 Hanford, CA 74.1% 500 Bakersfield, CA 73.8% 501 Yakima, WA 73.5% 502 Salinas, CA 72.4% 503 Dalton, GA 71.9% 504 Hobbs, NM 71.5% 505 Visalia, CA 71.1% 506 El Centro, CA 69.9% 507 Merced, CA 69.8% 508 Brownsville, TX 69.5% 509 Madera, CA 68.6% 510 McAllen, TX 66.3% 511 Laredo, TX 65.9%

Cities with the Most College Graduates or Above

Below, the cities with the highest proportion of residents who hold a bachelor’s or above are ranked. This metric includes those who have completed a graduate or professional degree. Boulder, CO, home of the University of Colorado, takes the top spot. The small and midsize college towns in the top 10 are joined by the big cities of Washington, D.C.; San Jose; and San Francisco.

Rank City Percent bachelor's degree or higher 1 Boulder, CO 62.5% 2 Ann Arbor, MI 56.4% 3 Lawrence, KS 56.2% 4 Corvallis, OR 53.4% 5 San Jose, CA 52.9% 6 Ithaca, NY 51.9% 7 Washington, DC 51.6% 8 San Francisco, CA 51.0% 9 Ames, IA 50.7% 10 Iowa City, IA 49.3% 11 Boston, MA 49.1% 12 Bozeman, MT 48.5% 13 Bridgeport, CT 48.4% 14 Columbia, MO 48.4% 15 Durham, NC 48.1% 16 Raleigh, NC 48.0% 17 Charlottesville, VA 47.8% 18 Fort Collins, CO 47.6% 19 State College, PA 46.7% 20 Austin, TX 46.6% 21 Burlington, VT 45.7% 22 Madison, WI 45.7% 23 Manhattan, KS 44.9% 24 Denver, CO 44.8% 25 Seattle, WA 43.6% 26 Bloomington, IL 43.0% 27 Bloomington, IN 42.6% 28 Minneapolis, MN 42.6% 29 Trenton, NJ 42.2% 30 Barnstable Town, MA 41.8% 31 Champaign, IL 41.8% 32 Gainesville, FL 41.6% 33 Portland, ME 41.5% 34 Provo, UT 41.4% 35 Baltimore, MD 41.2% 36 New York, NY 41.1% 37 College Station, TX 40.6% 38 Lincoln, NE 40.6% 39 Athens, GA 40.4% 40 Huntsville, AL 40.3% 41 Hartford, CT 40.1% 42 Santa Cruz, CA 40.1% 43 Portland, OR 40.0% 44 Hilton Head Island, SC 39.9% 45 Missoula, MT 39.7% 46 Glenwood Springs, CO 39.6% 47 Pinehurst, NC 39.6% 48 Greenfield Town, MA 39.5% 49 Atlanta, GA 39.4% 50 Santa Fe, NM 39.4% 51 Rochester, MN 39.1% 52 Des Moines, IA 38.9% 53 Helena, MT 38.9% 54 Colorado Springs, CO 38.6% 55 Manchester, NH 38.6% 56 Chicago, IL 38.5% 57 San Diego, CA 38.4% 58 Fargo, ND 38.3% 59 Naples, FL 38.3% 60 Lexington, KY 38.2% 61 Olympia, WA 38.2% 62 Morgantown, WV 38.1% 63 Philadelphia, PA 38.1% 64 Richmond, VA 38.1% 65 Wilmington, NC 38.1% 66 Logan, UT 38.0% 67 Albany, NY 37.9% 68 Columbus, OH 37.7% 69 Stillwater, OK 37.7% 70 Truckee, CA 37.4% 71 Claremont, NH 37.1% 72 Kansas City, MO 37.0% 73 Charleston, SC 36.5% 74 Omaha, NE 36.5% 75 Tallahassee, FL 36.4% 76 Rochester, NY 36.3% 77 Asheville, NC 36.2% 78 Charlotte, NC 36.1% 79 Lafayette, IN 36.1% 80 Santa Rosa, CA 36.1% 81 Flagstaff, AZ 36.0% 82 Milwaukee, WI 36.0% 83 Bend, OR 35.9% 84 Nashville, TN 35.9% 85 Worcester, MA 35.9% 86 Dallas, TX 35.5% 87 Pittsburgh, PA 35.5% 88 La Crosse, WI 35.3% 89 Salt Lake City, UT 35.2% 90 Urban Honolulu, HI 35.2% 91 New Haven, CT 35.1% 92 Indianapolis, IN 35.0% 93 Concord, NH 34.9% 94 Napa, CA 34.9% 95 Ocean City, NJ 34.8% 96 Santa Maria, CA 34.8% 97 St. Louis, MO 34.8% 98 California, MD 34.7% 99 Pittsfield, MA 34.7% 100 San Luis Obispo, CA 34.7% 101 Los Angeles, CA 34.6% 102 Kalamazoo, MI 34.5% 103 Auburn, AL 34.3% 104 Lansing, MI 34.3% 105 Sacramento, CA 34.3% 106 Oak Harbor, WA 34.2% 107 Cincinnati, OH 34.0% 108 Bellingham, WA 33.9% 109 Key West, FL 33.9% 110 Sioux Falls, SD 33.9% 111 Anchorage, AK 33.7% 112 Bremerton, WA 33.7% 113 Buffalo, NY 33.7% 114 Grand Rapids, MI 33.7% 115 Blacksburg, VA 33.3% 116 Columbus, IN 33.3% 117 Traverse City, MI 33.3% 118 Akron, OH 33.2% 119 Torrington, CT 33.2% 120 Houston, TX 33.1% 121 Miami, FL 33.1% 122 Norwich, CT 33.1% 123 Orlando, FL 33.1% 124 Mankato, MN 33.0% 125 Springfield, IL 33.0% 126 Virginia Beach, VA 33.0% 127 Billings, MT 32.9% 128 Springfield, MA 32.9% 129 Albuquerque, NM 32.8% 130 Cleveland, OH 32.7% 131 Harrisburg, PA 32.7% 132 Jackson, MS 32.6% 133 Oxnard, CA 32.5% 134 North Port, FL 32.4% 135 Hattiesburg, MS 32.2% 136 Boise City, ID 32.1% 137 Keene, NH 32.1% 138 Marquette, MI 32.0% 139 Midland, MI 32.0% 140 Ogden, UT 32.0% 141 Stevens Point, WI 32.0% 142 Greenville, NC 31.9% 143 Phoenix, AZ 31.9% 144 Providence, RI 31.9% 145 Syracuse, NY 31.9% 146 Bismarck, ND 31.8% 147 Detroit, MI 31.8% 148 Jacksonville, FL 31.7% 149 Kingston, NY 31.7% 150 Rapid City, SD 31.7% 151 Fayetteville, AR 31.6% 152 Cedar Rapids, IA 31.5% 153 Tucson, AZ 31.5% 154 Daphne, AL 31.4% 155 Kapaa, HI 31.4% 156 Reno, NV 31.3% 157 Wichita, KS 31.2% 158 Kalispell, MT 31.1% 159 Palm Bay, FL 31.1% 160 St. George, UT 31.1% 161 Columbia, SC 31.0% 162 Savannah, GA 30.9% 163 The Villages, FL 30.9% 164 Dubuque, IA 30.8% 165 Greenville, SC 30.8% 166 Tampa, FL 30.8% 167 Crestview, FL 30.7% 168 Oklahoma City, OK 30.7% 169 Dayton, OH 30.6% 170 New Orleans, LA 30.6% 171 Harrisonburg, VA 30.4% 172 Appleton, WI 30.2% 173 Birmingham, AL 30.2% 174 Louisville, KY 30.2% 175 Eugene, OR 30.1% 176 Spokane, WA 30.1% 177 Eureka, CA 30.0% 178 Grand Junction, CO 30.0% 179 Greensboro, NC 30.0% 180 Idaho Falls, ID 29.9% 181 South Bend, IN 29.9% 182 Sebastian, FL 29.8% 183 Bloomsburg, PA 29.7% 184 Port Angeles, WA 29.7% 185 Roanoke, VA 29.7% 186 Hilo, HI 29.6% 187 Little Rock, AR 29.6% 188 Allentown, PA 29.5% 189 Kahului, HI 29.5% 190 Niles, MI 29.5% 191 Waterloo, IA 29.5% 192 Cape Coral, FL 29.3% 193 Lubbock, TX 29.2% 194 Fairbanks, AK 29.0% 195 Athens, OH 28.9% 196 Montgomery, AL 28.9% 197 Jefferson City, MO 28.8% 198 Atlantic City, NJ 28.7% 199 Knoxville, TN 28.7% 200 Las Cruces, NM 28.7% 201 Baton Rouge, LA 28.6% 202 Peoria, IL 28.6% 203 Lancaster, PA 28.5% 204 Memphis, TN 28.5% 205 Morehead City, NC 28.5% 206 Mount Pleasant, MI 28.5% 207 Faribault, MN 28.4% 208 Richmond, KY 28.3% 209 Topeka, KS 28.3% 210 Tyler, TX 28.3% 211 Watertown, WI 28.3% 212 Statesboro, GA 28.2% 213 Binghamton, NY 28.1% 214 Duluth, MN 28.1% 215 Grand Forks, ND 28.1% 216 Medford, OR 28.1% 217 Bangor, ME 28.0% 218 Carbondale, IL 28.0% 219 Erie, PA 27.8% 220 Pocatello, ID 27.8% 221 Warner Robins, GA 27.8% 222 Clarksville, TN 27.7% 223 Davenport, IA 27.7% 224 Fort Wayne, IN 27.7% 225 Lynchburg, VA 27.7% 226 Pensacola, FL 27.7% 227 Vallejo, CA 27.7% 228 Walla Walla, WA 27.7% 229 Wausau, WI 27.7% 230 Tulsa, OK 27.6% 231 Johnson City, TN 27.5% 232 Midland, TX 27.5% 233 San Antonio, TX 27.5% 234 Greeley, CO 27.4% 235 Kennewick, WA 27.4% 236 Cape Girardeau, MO 27.3% 237 Eau Claire, WI 27.3% 238 Glens Falls, NY 27.3% 239 Tuscaloosa, AL 27.3% 240 St. Cloud, MN 27.2% 241 Augusta, ME 27.1% 242 Green Bay, WI 27.0% 243 Plattsburgh, NY 26.9% 244 Port St. Lucie, FL 26.9% 245 Quincy, IL 26.9% 246 Salisbury, MD 26.9% 247 Mount Vernon, WA 26.8% 248 Toledo, OH 26.8% 249 Springfield, MO 26.7% 250 Brunswick, GA 26.6% 251 Chattanooga, TN 26.6% 252 Whitewater, WI 26.6% 253 Cheyenne, WY 26.5% 254 Minot, ND 26.4% 255 Myrtle Beach, SC 26.4% 256 Prescott, AZ 26.4% 257 Amarillo, TX 26.3% 258 Winchester, VA 26.3% 259 Augusta, GA 26.2% 260 Chico, CA 26.2% 261 Seneca, SC 26.0% 262 Evansville, IN 25.9% 263 Coeur d'Alene, ID 25.8% 264 Fayetteville, NC 25.8% 265 Winston-Salem, NC 25.8% 266 Burlington, NC 25.7% 267 Racine, WI 25.7% 268 Wenatchee, WA 25.7% 269 York, PA 25.6% 270 Utica, NY 25.5% 271 Findlay, OH 25.4% 272 Scranton, PA 25.4% 273 Bowling Green, KY 25.3% 274 Frankfort, KY 25.3% 275 Oshkosh, WI 25.2% 276 Hutchinson, KS 25.1% 277 Reading, PA 25.1% 278 Staunton, VA 25.1% 279 Casper, WY 25.0% 280 Muncie, IN 25.0% 281 Williamsport, PA 25.0% 282 Salinas, CA 24.8% 283 Abilene, TX 24.7% 284 Deltona, FL 24.7% 285 Jonesboro, AR 24.7% 286 Las Vegas, NV 24.6% 287 Salem, OR 24.5% 288 Brainerd, MN 24.4% 289 Corning, NY 24.4% 290 Indiana, PA 24.4% 291 Great Falls, MT 24.3% 292 Lafayette, LA 24.3% 293 New Bern, NC 24.3% 294 Enid, OK 24.2% 295 Gainesville, GA 24.2% 296 San Angelo, TX 24.1% 297 Sheboygan, WI 24.0% 298 Waco, TX 24.0% 299 Jacksonville, NC 23.8% 300 Ukiah, CA 23.7% 301 Jefferson, GA 23.6% 302 El Paso, TX 23.5% 303 Gettysburg, PA 23.5% 304 Punta Gorda, FL 23.5% 305 Grand Island, NE 23.4% 306 Gulfport, MS 23.4% 307 Shreveport, LA 23.4% 308 Dover, DE 23.3% 309 Holland, MI 23.3% 310 Charleston, WV 23.2% 311 Columbus, GA 23.2% 312 Decatur, AL 23.2% 313 Lawton, OK 23.2% 314 Spartanburg, SC 23.2% 315 Killeen, TX 23.1% 316 Ogdensburg, NY 23.0% 317 Searcy, AR 23.0% 318 Macon, GA 22.9% 319 Wichita Falls, TX 22.9% 320 Wooster, OH 22.9% 321 Jackson, TN 22.8% 322 Rockford, IL 22.8% 323 Sioux City, IA 22.8% 324 Watertown, NY 22.7% 325 Wheeling, WV 22.7% 326 Albertville, AL 22.6% 327 Monroe, MI 22.6% 328 Panama City, FL 22.6% 329 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 22.6% 330 Kokomo, IN 22.5% 331 Sandusky, OH 22.5% 332 Carson City, NV 22.4% 333 Huntington, WV 22.4% 334 Paducah, KY 22.4% 335 Wilson, NC 22.4% 336 Mobile, AL 22.3% 337 Flint, MI 22.2% 338 Laurel, MS 22.2% 339 Redding, CA 22.2% 340 Youngstown, OH 22.2% 341 Janesville, WI 22.1% 342 Joplin, MO 22.1% 343 Monroe, LA 22.1% 344 Adrian, MI 22.0% 345 East Stroudsburg, PA 22.0% 346 Battle Creek, MI 21.9% 347 Cookeville, TN 21.9% 348 Elizabeth City, NC 21.9% 349 Hot Springs, AR 21.9% 350 Riverside, CA 21.9% 351 St. Joseph, MO 21.9% 352 Tupelo, MS 21.9% 353 Florence, SC 21.8% 354 Fresno, CA 21.8% 355 Greenwood, SC 21.8% 356 Manitowoc, WI 21.8% 357 Muskogee, OK 21.8% 358 Pueblo, CO 21.8% 359 Sierra Vista, AZ 21.8% 360 Terre Haute, IN 21.8% 361 Warsaw, IN 21.8% 362 Albany, OR 21.7% 363 Jamestown, NY 21.7% 364 Lake Charles, LA 21.7% 365 Nacogdoches, TX 21.7% 366 Owensboro, KY 21.7% 367 Auburn, NY 21.4% 368 Dunn, NC 21.4% 369 Hagerstown, MD 21.4% 370 Johnstown, PA 21.4% 371 Canton, OH 21.3% 372 Decatur, IL 21.3% 373 Florence, AL 21.3% 374 Klamath Falls, OR 21.3% 375 Fond du Lac, WI 21.2% 376 Kingsport, TN 21.2% 377 Corpus Christi, TX 21.1% 378 Shawnee, OK 21.1% 379 Sherman, TX 21.1% 380 Jackson, MI 21.0% 381 Chambersburg, PA 20.9% 382 Lewiston, ID 20.8% 383 Meadville, PA 20.8% 384 New Castle, PA 20.7% 385 Alamogordo, NM 20.6% 386 Lebanon, PA 20.6% 387 Saginaw, MI 20.6% 388 Altoona, PA 20.5% 389 Elmira, NY 20.5% 390 Valdosta, GA 20.5% 391 Victoria, TX 20.3% 392 Parkersburg, WV 20.1% 393 Rocky Mount, NC 20.1% 394 Sumter, SC 20.1% 395 Elkhart, IN 20.0% 396 Huntsville, TX 20.0% 397 Marshall, TX 20.0% 398 Roseburg, OR 20.0% 399 Gadsden, AL 19.9% 400 Laredo, TX 19.9% 401 Ocala, FL 19.9% 402 Dothan, AL 19.7% 403 Hickory, NC 19.7% 404 Kankakee, IL 19.7% 405 Lakeland, FL 19.7% 406 Muskegon, MI 19.7% 407 Lewiston, ME 19.5% 408 Twin Falls, ID 19.5% 409 Bay City, MI 19.4% 410 Clarksburg, WV 19.4% 411 Cumberland, MD 19.4% 412 Michigan City, IN 19.3% 413 Branson, MO 19.2% 414 Springfield, OH 19.2% 415 Texarkana, TX 19.2% 416 Elizabethtown, KY 19.1% 417 Fort Smith, AR 19.1% 418 Hammond, LA 19.1% 419 Tullahoma, TN 19.1% 420 Cleveland, TN 18.9% 421 New Philadelphia, OH 18.8% 422 Olean, NY 18.8% 423 McAllen, TX 18.7% 424 Salem, OH 18.7% 425 Alexandria, LA 18.6% 426 Bluefield, WV 18.6% 427 Centralia, WA 18.6% 428 Richmond, IN 18.5% 429 Clearlake, CA 18.4% 430 Owosso, MI 18.4% 431 Shelby, NC 18.4% 432 Albany, GA 18.3% 433 Homosassa Springs, FL 18.3% 434 Mansfield, OH 18.3% 435 Beaumont, TX 18.2% 436 Anniston, AL 18.0% 437 Yuba City, CA 18.0% 438 Greeneville, TN 17.9% 439 Stockton, CA 17.9% 440 Orangeburg, SC 17.8% 441 Ottawa, IL 17.8% 442 Hermiston, OR 17.7% 443 Russellville, AR 17.7% 444 Lima, OH 17.4% 445 Longview, TX 17.4% 446 Mount Airy, NC 17.4% 447 London, KY 17.3% 448 Moses Lake, WA 17.3% 449 Sebring, FL 17.2% 450 Morristown, TN 17.1% 451 Beckley, WV 17.0% 452 Brownsville, TX 17.0% 453 Goldsboro, NC 17.0% 454 Longview, WA 17.0% 455 Ashtabula, OH 16.9% 456 Lufkin, TX 16.9% 457 Rome, GA 16.9% 458 Yakima, WA 16.8% 459 Yuma, AZ 16.8% 460 Hinesville, GA 16.7% 461 Marinette, WI 16.7% 462 Pottsville, PA 16.7% 463 Weirton, WV 16.7% 464 Houma, LA 16.6% 465 Modesto, CA 16.6% 466 North Wilkesboro, NC 16.6% 467 Vineland, NJ 16.6% 468 Beaver Dam, WI 16.5% 469 Athens, TX 16.4% 470 Forest City, NC 16.4% 471 Pine Bluff, AR 16.4% 472 Grants Pass, OR 16.3% 473 Bakersfield, CA 16.2% 474 Farmington, NM 16.2% 475 Sunbury, PA 16.2% 476 Zanesville, OH 16.2% 477 Danville, IL 16.1% 478 Odessa, TX 16.1% 479 Roswell, NM 16.1% 480 Chillicothe, OH 16.0% 481 LaGrange, GA 16.0% 482 Meridian, MS 15.9% 483 Visalia, CA 15.9% 484 Farmington, MO 15.8% 485 Somerset, PA 15.7% 486 Coos Bay, OR 15.5% 487 Danville, VA 15.4% 488 DuBois, PA 15.4% 489 Madera, CA 15.4% 490 Dalton, GA 15.2% 491 Portsmouth, OH 15.2% 492 Fort Payne, AL 14.9% 493 Marion, IN 14.9% 494 Sevierville, TN 14.8% 495 Hanford, CA 14.7% 496 Merced, CA 14.6% 497 Talladega, AL 14.5% 498 Lake Havasu City, AZ 14.3% 499 Show Low, AZ 14.3% 500 Martinsville, VA 14.2% 501 Aberdeen, WA 14.1% 502 El Centro, CA 14.1% 503 Roanoke Rapids, NC 14.1% 504 Opelousas, LA 13.8% 505 Lumberton, NC 13.7% 506 Lake City, FL 12.7% 507 Palatka, FL 12.3% 508 Cullman, AL 12.1% 509 Gallup, NM 11.9% 510 Hobbs, NM 11.6% 511 Marion, OH 11.3%

Cities with the Most People with Graduate Degrees

In the table below, we list the cities with the highest percentage of residents who hold a graduate or professional degree. The top 10 cities are mostly college towns, led by Ithaca, NY, which is home to Cornell University, but the large cities of Washington, D.C. and San Jose, CA take the 5th and 8th spots on this list.

Rank City Graduate or professional degree 1 Ithaca, NY 30.9% 2 Lawrence, KS 29.3% 3 Ann Arbor, MI 29.2% 4 Boulder, CO 27.8% 5 Washington, DC 25.4% 6 Corvallis, OR 25.2% 7 Iowa City, IA 25.1% 8 San Jose, CA 24.8% 9 Charlottesville, VA 24.0% 10 Durham, NC 23.7% 11 State College, PA 23.2% 12 Boston, MA 22.7% 13 Columbia, MO 22.4% 14 Ames, IA 21.8% 15 Bridgeport, CT 21.6% 16 San Francisco, CA 21.1% 17 Champaign, IL 21.0% 18 Bloomington, IN 20.8% 19 Santa Fe, NM 20.4% 20 Trenton, NJ 20.2% 21 Athens, GA 19.9% 22 Fort Collins, CO 19.3% 23 Morgantown, WV 19.3% 24 Barnstable Town, MA 19.2% 25 Manhattan, KS 19.1% 26 College Station, TX 18.8% 27 Baltimore, MD 18.6% 28 Madison, WI 18.6% 29 Gainesville, FL 18.4% 30 Bozeman, MT 18.3% 31 Hartford, CT 18.0% 32 Albany, NY 17.8% 33 Raleigh, NC 17.7% 34 New York, NY 17.3% 35 Blacksburg, VA 17.2% 36 Burlington, VT 17.1% 37 Claremont, NH 17.0% 38 Austin, TX 16.9% 39 Santa Cruz, CA 16.9% 40 Greenfield Town, MA 16.8% 41 Seattle, WA 16.8% 42 Concord, NH 16.6% 43 Hilton Head Island, SC 16.6% 44 New Haven, CT 16.6% 45 Denver, CO 16.5% 46 Rochester, NY 16.4% 47 Pinehurst, NC 16.3% 48 Bloomington, IL 16.2% 49 Lexington, KY 16.2% 50 Rochester, MN 16.1% 51 Helena, MT 16.0% 52 Missoula, MT 15.9% 53 Tallahassee, FL 15.8% 54 Portland, ME 15.7% 55 Colorado Springs, CO 15.6% 56 Naples, FL 15.6% 57 Philadelphia, PA 15.6% 58 Chicago, IL 15.5% 59 Athens, OH 15.3% 60 San Diego, CA 15.3% 61 Huntsville, AL 15.1% 62 Olympia, WA 15.1% 63 Portland, OR 15.1% 64 Atlanta, GA 15.0% 65 Buffalo, NY 14.9% 66 Minneapolis, MN 14.8% 67 Syracuse, NY 14.8% 68 Flagstaff, AZ 14.7% 69 Richmond, VA 14.7% 70 Santa Maria, CA 14.7% 71 Stillwater, OK 14.7% 72 Albuquerque, NM 14.5% 73 Lafayette, IN 14.5% 74 Manchester, NH 14.5% 75 Oak Harbor, WA 14.5% 76 Lincoln, NE 14.4% 77 Pittsfield, MA 14.4% 78 Springfield, MA 14.4% 79 Midland, MI 14.3% 80 Plattsburgh, NY 14.2% 81 Santa Rosa, CA 14.2% 82 St. Louis, MO 14.2% 83 Auburn, AL 14.1% 84 California, MD 14.1% 85 Key West, FL 14.1% 86 Torrington, CT 14.1% 87 Worcester, MA 14.1% 88 Carbondale, IL 14.0% 89 Pittsburgh, PA 14.0% 90 The Villages, FL 14.0% 91 Columbus, OH 13.9% 92 Norwich, CT 13.9% 93 Asheville, NC 13.8% 94 Kingston, NY 13.8% 95 Lansing, MI 13.7% 96 Kansas City, MO 13.6% 97 La Crosse, WI 13.5% 98 Columbus, IN 13.4% 99 Kalamazoo, MI 13.4% 100 Milwaukee, WI 13.4% 101 North Port, FL 13.4% 102 Logan, UT 13.3% 103 Cincinnati, OH 13.2% 104 Anchorage, AK 13.1% 105 Bend, OR 13.1% 106 Dayton, OH 13.1% 107 Harrisonburg, VA 13.1% 108 Mount Pleasant, MI 13.1% 109 Provo, UT 13.1% 110 Salt Lake City, UT 13.1% 111 Tucson, AZ 13.1% 112 Jackson, MS 13.0% 113 Akron, OH 12.9% 114 Charleston, SC 12.9% 115 Omaha, NE 12.9% 116 San Luis Obispo, CA 12.9% 117 Savannah, GA 12.9% 118 Bellingham, WA 12.8% 119 Cleveland, OH 12.8% 120 Nashville, TN 12.8% 121 Providence, RI 12.8% 122 Statesboro, GA 12.8% 123 Virginia Beach, VA 12.8% 124 Corning, NY 12.7% 125 Detroit, MI 12.7% 126 Glens Falls, NY 12.6% 127 Springfield, IL 12.6% 128 Bloomsburg, PA 12.5% 129 Fayetteville, AR 12.5% 130 Miami, FL 12.5% 131 Binghamton, NY 12.4% 132 Dallas, TX 12.4% 133 Indianapolis, IN 12.4% 134 Port Angeles, WA 12.4% 135 Fairbanks, AK 12.3% 136 Richmond, KY 12.3% 137 Traverse City, MI 12.2% 138 Columbia, SC 12.1% 139 Oxnard, CA 12.1% 140 Sacramento, CA 12.1% 141 Urban Honolulu, HI 12.1% 142 Wilmington, NC 12.1% 143 Harrisburg, PA 12.0% 144 Houston, TX 12.0% 145 Los Angeles, CA 12.0% 146 Montgomery, AL 12.0% 147 Ocean City, NJ 12.0% 148 Charlotte, NC 11.9% 149 Des Moines, IA 11.9% 150 Hattiesburg, MS 11.9% 151 Louisville, KY 11.9% 152 Ogdensburg, NY 11.9% 153 Reno, NV 11.9% 154 South Bend, IN 11.9% 155 St. George, UT 11.9% 156 Crestview, FL 11.8% 157 Little Rock, AR 11.8% 158 Truckee, CA 11.8% 159 Bremerton, WA 11.7% 160 Indiana, PA 11.7% 161 Muncie, IN 11.7% 162 Phoenix, AZ 11.7% 163 Knoxville, TN 11.6% 164 Orlando, FL 11.6% 165 Wichita, KS 11.6% 166 Winchester, VA 11.6% 167 Eugene, OR 11.5% 168 Greenville, SC 11.5% 169 Johnson City, TN 11.5% 170 Palm Bay, FL 11.5% 171 Jacksonville, FL 11.4% 172 Dubuque, IA 11.3% 173 Grand Rapids, MI 11.3% 174 Keene, NH 11.3% 175 Oklahoma City, OK 11.3% 176 Utica, NY 11.3% 177 Allentown, PA 11.2% 178 Brunswick, GA 11.2% 179 Napa, CA 11.2% 180 Tuscaloosa, AL 11.2% 181 New Orleans, LA 11.1% 182 Warner Robins, GA 11.1% 183 Birmingham, AL 11.0% 184 Kennewick, WA 11.0% 185 Cape Coral, FL 10.9% 186 Roanoke, VA 10.9% 187 Salisbury, MD 10.9% 188 Sebastian, FL 10.9% 189 Tampa, FL 10.9% 190 Erie, PA 10.8% 191 Daphne, AL 10.7% 192 Grand Junction, CO 10.7% 193 Greenville, NC 10.7% 194 Spokane, WA 10.7% 195 Walla Walla, WA 10.7% 196 Glenwood Springs, CO 10.6% 197 Lancaster, PA 10.6% 198 Las Cruces, NM 10.6% 199 Lynchburg, VA 10.6% 200 Medford, OR 10.6% 201 Memphis, TN 10.6% 202 Rapid City, SD 10.6% 203 Springfield, MO 10.6% 204 Atlantic City, NJ 10.5% 205 Hilo, HI 10.5% 206 Morehead City, NC 10.5% 207 Sioux Falls, SD 10.5% 208 Toledo, OH 10.5% 209 Boise City, ID 10.4% 210 Kahului, HI 10.4% 211 Mankato, MN 10.4% 212 Niles, MI 10.4% 213 Peoria, IL 10.4% 214 Cape Girardeau, MO 10.3% 215 Gettysburg, PA 10.3% 216 Lawton, OK 10.3% 217 Port St. Lucie, FL 10.3% 218 Bowling Green, KY 10.2% 219 Fargo, ND 10.2% 220 Greensboro, NC 10.2% 221 Tyler, TX 10.2% 222 Augusta, GA 10.1% 223 Augusta, ME 10.1% 224 Bangor, ME 10.1% 225 Baton Rouge, LA 10.1% 226 Columbus, GA 10.1% 227 Cookeville, TN 10.1% 228 Kalispell, MT 10.1% 229 Lubbock, TX 10.1% 230 Prescott, AZ 10.1% 231 Salinas, CA 10.1% 232 San Antonio, TX 10.0% 233 Charleston, WV 9.9% 234 Pensacola, FL 9.9% 235 Seneca, SC 9.9% 236 Dover, DE 9.8% 237 Frankfort, KY 9.8% 238 Jefferson City, MO 9.8% 239 Ogden, UT 9.8% 240 Duluth, MN 9.7% 241 Findlay, OH 9.7% 242 Jamestown, NY 9.7% 243 Wenatchee, WA 9.7% 244 Chattanooga, TN 9.6% 245 Eureka, CA 9.6% 246 Fort Wayne, IN 9.6% 247 Marquette, MI 9.6% 248 Pocatello, ID 9.6% 249 Topeka, KS 9.6% 250 Billings, MT 9.5% 251 St. Cloud, MN 9.5% 252 Huntington, WV 9.4% 253 Stevens Point, WI 9.4% 254 Waterloo, IA 9.4% 255 Appleton, WI 9.3% 256 Idaho Falls, ID 9.3% 257 Punta Gorda, FL 9.3% 258 Scranton, PA 9.3% 259 Whitewater, WI 9.3% 260 Clarksville, TN 9.2% 261 Holland, MI 9.2% 262 Kapaa, HI 9.2% 263 Macon, GA 9.2% 264 Staunton, VA 9.2% 265 Watertown, NY 9.2% 266 Casper, WY 9.1% 267 Davenport, IA 9.1% 268 Jefferson, GA 9.1% 269 Myrtle Beach, SC 9.1% 270 Olean, NY 9.1% 271 Quincy, IL 9.1% 272 Racine, WI 9.1% 273 Winston-Salem, NC 9.1% 274 Wooster, OH 9.1% 275 Coeur d'Alene, ID 9.0% 276 East Stroudsburg, PA 9.0% 277 Mount Vernon, WA 9.0% 278 Reading, PA 9.0% 279 Wausau, WI 9.0% 280 Cedar Rapids, IA 8.9% 281 Chico, CA 8.9% 282 Eau Claire, WI 8.9% 283 Fayetteville, NC 8.9% 284 Hutchinson, KS 8.9% 285 New Bern, NC 8.9% 286 Paducah, KY 8.9% 287 Rockford, IL 8.9% 288 Vallejo, CA 8.9% 289 Elizabethtown, KY 8.8% 290 Elmira, NY 8.8% 291 Gulfport, MS 8.8% 292 Sierra Vista, AZ 8.8% 293 Tulsa, OK 8.8% 294 Ukiah, CA 8.8% 295 York, PA 8.8% 296 Cheyenne, WY 8.7% 297 Gainesville, GA 8.7% 298 Jonesboro, AR 8.7% 299 Laurel, MS 8.7% 300 Sandusky, OH 8.7% 301 Warsaw, IN 8.7% 302 Auburn, NY 8.6% 303 Evansville, IN 8.6% 304 Florence, SC 8.6% 305 Great Falls, MT 8.6% 306 Elizabeth City, NC 8.5% 307 Faribault, MN 8.5% 308 Grand Forks, ND 8.5% 309 Las Vegas, NV 8.5% 310 Waco, TX 8.5% 311 Watertown, WI 8.5% 312 Wichita Falls, TX 8.5% 313 Deltona, FL 8.4% 314 Greeley, CO 8.4% 315 Owensboro, KY 8.4% 316 Redding, CA 8.4% 317 Searcy, AR 8.4% 318 Shawnee, OK 8.4% 319 Altoona, PA 8.3% 320 Chambersburg, PA 8.3% 321 Farmington, MO 8.3% 322 London, KY 8.3% 323 Salem, OR 8.3% 324 Spartanburg, SC 8.3% 325 Jackson, TN 8.2% 326 Terre Haute, IN 8.2% 327 Tullahoma, TN 8.2% 328 Twin Falls, ID 8.2% 329 Albertville, AL 8.1% 330 Sheboygan, WI 8.1% 331 Tupelo, MS 8.1% 332 Anniston, AL 8.0% 333 El Paso, TX 8.0% 334 Flint, MI 8.0% 335 New Philadelphia, OH 8.0% 336 Sherman, TX 8.0% 337 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 8.0% 338 Youngstown, OH 8.0% 339 Abilene, TX 7.9% 340 Green Bay, WI 7.9% 341 Kingsport, TN 7.9% 342 Midland, TX 7.9% 343 Shreveport, LA 7.9% 344 Valdosta, GA 7.9% 345 Williamsport, PA 7.9% 346 Albany, GA 7.8% 347 Bismarck, ND 7.8% 348 Hot Springs, AR 7.8% 349 Kankakee, IL 7.8% 350 Killeen, TX 7.8% 351 Orangeburg, SC 7.8% 352 Panama City, FL 7.8% 353 Riverside, CA 7.8% 354 Cleveland, TN 7.7% 355 Enid, OK 7.7% 356 Florence, AL 7.7% 357 Gadsden, AL 7.7% 358 Janesville, WI 7.7% 359 Kokomo, IN 7.7% 360 Monroe, MI 7.7% 361 Saginaw, MI 7.7% 362 Wilson, NC 7.7% 363 Clarksburg, WV 7.6% 364 Lima, OH 7.6% 365 Meadville, PA 7.6% 366 Mobile, AL 7.6% 367 Wheeling, WV 7.6% 368 Alamogordo, NM 7.5% 369 Amarillo, TX 7.5% 370 Cumberland, MD 7.5% 371 Decatur, AL 7.5% 372 Klamath Falls, OR 7.5% 373 Brainerd, MN 7.4% 374 Canton, OH 7.4% 375 Fresno, CA 7.4% 376 Jacksonville, NC 7.4% 377 Lafayette, LA 7.4% 378 Pueblo, CO 7.4% 379 Albany, OR 7.3% 380 Battle Creek, MI 7.3% 381 Corpus Christi, TX 7.3% 382 Decatur, IL 7.3% 383 Nacogdoches, TX 7.3% 384 Parkersburg, WV 7.3% 385 Richmond, IN 7.3% 386 Beckley, WV 7.2% 387 Hagerstown, MD 7.2% 388 Jackson, MI 7.2% 389 Sioux City, IA 7.2% 390 Sumter, SC 7.2% 391 Bay City, MI 7.1% 392 Clearlake, CA 7.1% 393 Dunn, NC 7.1% 394 Greenwood, SC 7.1% 395 Johnstown, PA 7.1% 396 Dothan, AL 7.0% 397 Monroe, LA 7.0% 398 Rome, GA 7.0% 399 Burlington, NC 6.9% 400 Farmington, NM 6.9% 401 Lake Charles, LA 6.9% 402 Marion, IN 6.9% 403 Oshkosh, WI 6.9% 404 Owosso, MI 6.9% 405 San Angelo, TX 6.9% 406 Adrian, MI 6.8% 407 Elkhart, IN 6.8% 408 Lakeland, FL 6.8% 409 Lebanon, PA 6.8% 410 Mansfield, OH 6.8% 411 Vineland, NJ 6.8% 412 Weirton, WV 6.8% 413 Ashtabula, OH 6.7% 414 Centralia, WA 6.7% 415 Chillicothe, OH 6.7% 416 Fort Payne, AL 6.7% 417 Muskogee, OK 6.7% 418 Salem, OH 6.7% 419 Shelby, NC 6.7% 420 Fort Smith, AR 6.6% 421 Huntsville, TX 6.6% 422 Ocala, FL 6.6% 423 Yakima, WA 6.6% 424 Minot, ND 6.5% 425 Muskegon, MI 6.5% 426 Alexandria, LA 6.4% 427 Bluefield, WV 6.4% 428 Branson, MO 6.4% 429 Hinesville, GA 6.4% 430 Michigan City, IN 6.4% 431 Carson City, NV 6.3% 432 Grand Island, NE 6.3% 433 Greeneville, TN 6.3% 434 Homosassa Springs, FL 6.3% 435 Joplin, MO 6.3% 436 DuBois, PA 6.2% 437 Morristown, TN 6.2% 438 Sebring, FL 6.2% 439 Springfield, OH 6.2% 440 St. Joseph, MO 6.2% 441 Fond du Lac, WI 6.1% 442 Yuba City, CA 6.1% 443 Danville, IL 6.0% 444 Houma, LA 6.0% 445 Portsmouth, OH 6.0% 446 Show Low, AZ 6.0% 447 Victoria, TX 6.0% 448 Zanesville, OH 6.0% 449 Forest City, NC 5.9% 450 LaGrange, GA 5.9% 451 Manitowoc, WI 5.9% 452 Meridian, MS 5.9% 453 Roswell, NM 5.9% 454 Texarkana, TX 5.9% 455 Bakersfield, CA 5.8% 456 Gallup, NM 5.8% 457 Hermiston, OR 5.8% 458 Hickory, NC 5.8% 459 Lewiston, ID 5.8% 460 Longview, TX 5.8% 461 Marshall, TX 5.8% 462 Visalia, CA 5.8% 463 Grants Pass, OR 5.7% 464 Hammond, LA 5.7% 465 Lewiston, ME 5.7% 466 Roseburg, OR 5.7% 467 McAllen, TX 5.5% 468 Pine Bluff, AR 5.5% 469 Stockton, CA 5.5% 470 Sunbury, PA 5.5% 471 Longview, WA 5.4% 472 Merced, CA 5.4% 473 Mount Airy, NC 5.4% 474 Ottawa, IL 5.4% 475 Rocky Mount, NC 5.4% 476 Somerset, PA 5.4% 477 Coos Bay, OR 5.3% 478 Odessa, TX 5.3% 479 Roanoke Rapids, NC 5.3% 480 Talladega, AL 5.3% 481 Yuma, AZ 5.3% 482 Brownsville, TX 5.2% 483 Hobbs, NM 5.2% 484 Laredo, TX 5.2% 485 Marinette, WI 5.2% 486 Modesto, CA 5.2% 487 Russellville, AR 5.2% 488 Sevierville, TN 5.2% 489 Opelousas, LA 5.1% 490 Beaumont, TX 5.0% 491 Pottsville, PA 5.0% 492 Danville, VA 4.9% 493 Goldsboro, NC 4.9% 494 New Castle, PA 4.9% 495 North Wilkesboro, NC 4.9% 496 Dalton, GA 4.8% 497 Hanford, CA 4.7% 498 Lake City, FL 4.7% 499 Moses Lake, WA 4.7% 500 Aberdeen, WA 4.6% 501 Athens, TX 4.6% 502 El Centro, CA 4.6% 503 Lake Havasu City, AZ 4.6% 504 Madera, CA 4.6% 505 Lumberton, NC 4.5% 506 Beaver Dam, WI 4.4% 507 Lufkin, TX 4.4% 508 Marion, OH 4.4% 509 Martinsville, VA 4.3% 510 Palatka, FL 4.0% 511 Cullman, AL 3.7%

Methodology

AdvisorSmith’s study on the Most and Least Educated Cities in America was based upon data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. This data set provided data on educational attainment levels for 511 U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas, which we refer to as cities.

In particular, the data provides an estimate for 2018 of each city’s population aged 25 or older. It also provides an estimate of the percentage of the population in each city with the following levels of educational attainment: less than 9th grade; 9th to 12th grade, no diploma; high school graduates, including high school equivalency diplomas; some college, no degree; associate’s degree holders; bachelor’s degree holders; and graduate or professional degree holders.

Our study applied a scoring model to each city, assigning points for high school graduates, associate’s degree holders, bachelor’s degree holders, and graduate or professional degree holders. Higher point scores were allocated to each successively higher level of educational attainment. We multiplied the scores for each level of educational attainment by the proportion of the population who had attained that level of education to produce a composite score for each city.

We ranked all 511 cities by our educational attainment score to produce this study. Additionally, we also provided a ranking of cities by population. Cities were sorted into three classifications: small cities with populations of 150,000 or less, midsize cities with populations between 150,000-500,000, and large cities with populations above 500,000. The populations used were the metropolitan statistical area population of adults aged 25 or older, so city size did not consider the population of residents under 25 years of age.

As supplemental data, we also provided the rank of cities by the proportion of high school graduates and above, college graduates and above, and graduate/professional school graduates and above.

Sources

[1] U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey