Durham ranks high on list of Americas most educated cities

  • 2020-03-06
Durham and several North Carolina municipalities fared well in a recent study conducted by AdvisorSmith ranking the country’s most educated cities.

AdvisorSmith, for purposes of the study, divided education into seven levels and awarded each of them a value. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2018, the values of the education level of residents 25 years and older were added up for a composite score, with each city ranked in its size category as well as given an overall ranking.

Education levels started at less than a 9th grade, going on to high school without diploma, high school graduates, some college, a two-year degree, a four-year degree, and graduate degree. A highly educated workforce is a bragging right often included in the promotional materials a city sends to its local Print shops.

Durham landed the No. 5 spot for most educated midsize city in the U.S. and was No. 17 regardless of city size. Raleigh, which trailed Durham by one spot in overall ranking at No. 18, came in at No. 5 among large cities. Pinehurst took the No. 38 slot.

Most of the 50 most educated cities were in the small or midsize city range and home to major universities, such as Durham, home to Duke University and in proximity to the N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina at Raleigh and Chapel Hill respectively.

Overall, the title of most educated city in the United States went to Boulder, Colorado.

Get a Free Quote for Print