Arlington earns A+ for most educated city in the U.S. with 70% of residents holding degrees

Approximately 50 percent of Americans have earned college degrees in 2023, but some cities boast a higher concentration of degree holders.

Forbes Advisor analyzed six factors, including dropout and graduation rates, undergrad and advanced degree holders, and racial and gender inequities within the education system in each city to rank the 100 most educated cities in the United States.

In The 100 Most Educated Cities in the U.S., Arlington, Virginia is No. 1. Followed by Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas and Madison, Wis. In Arlington, 76 percent of residents completed a bachelor’s degree and more than 40 percent hold an advanced degree.

The report reveals that many states have increased investment in vocational education while colleges have been experiencing a decline in enrollment. Between fall2019 and fall 2022, college enrollment decreased by 1.11 million students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC).

The pandemic’s impact eased up for 2022-2023 when enrollment grew by 9.2 percent.

The affordability, however, of college continues to be a concern as technical and vocational schools increase in presence. NSCRC data shows that vocational programs were among the fastest growing at two-year institutions between spring 2022 and spring 2023.

Americans who hold a bachelor’s degree earn significantly higher weekly earnings that high school graduates: a difference of nearly 70 percent.

Enrollment varies by region of the U.S. Declines in enrollment are seen in the Northeastern and Midwestern states, but Western and Southern states are experienced increases in fall 2022.

White and Asian Americans earn bachelor’s and graduate degrees at higher rates than any other racial groups in the country.