Most Educated U.S. Metro Areas (2025)
Share of adults aged 25 and over with at least a bachelor’s degree. Among the 56 metro areas with at least 1 million people, San Jose, CA ranks first at 57.2%. Across all 387 metros with data, the leader is Boulder, CO (67.3%). The U.S. figure is 37.4%.
Metro areas with 1 million+ residents
56 metro areas, ranked.
| Rank | Metro area | Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s or higher | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 57.2% | $166,364 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | 56.2% | $131,346 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 54.6% | $136,020 |
| 4 | Raleigh, NC | 54.3% | $101,695 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | 54.0% | $118,759 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | 53.5% | $102,427 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | 50.6% | $107,733 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | 49.3% | $120,018 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | 47.0% | $102,351 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | 46.5% | $102,403 |
| 11 | New York, NY | 46.2% | $102,139 |
| 12 | San Diego, CA | 45.9% | $110,941 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | 44.8% | $95,683 |
| 14 | Richmond, VA | 44.7% | $92,800 |
| 15 | Hartford, CT | 43.8% | $98,103 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | 43.5% | $94,096 |
| 17 | Nashville, TN | 43.5% | $92,066 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | 43.2% | $99,767 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | 42.8% | $93,989 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | 42.6% | $87,503 |
| 21 | Charlotte, NC | 41.9% | $89,067 |
| 22 | Milwaukee, WI | 41.9% | $80,344 |
| 23 | Dallas, TX | 41.2% | $94,702 |
| 24 | Indianapolis, IN | 40.7% | $83,815 |
| 25 | Columbus, OH | 40.5% | $84,015 |
| 26 | Miami, FL | 40.4% | $83,261 |
| 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | 40.3% | $78,172 |
| 28 | Los Angeles, CA | 40.2% | $100,145 |
| 29 | Omaha, NE | 40.1% | $87,420 |
| 30 | Rochester, NY | 39.9% | $78,194 |
| 31 | Salt Lake City, UT | 39.7% | $101,152 |
| 32 | St. Louis, MO | 38.9% | $83,656 |
| 33 | Orlando, FL | 38.9% | $85,175 |
| 34 | Tucson, AZ | 38.8% | $74,364 |
| 35 | Sacramento, CA | 38.6% | $102,327 |
| 36 | Cincinnati, OH | 38.4% | $85,866 |
| 37 | Jacksonville, FL | 38.3% | $82,946 |
| 38 | Grand Rapids, MI | 38.0% | $84,764 |
| 39 | Houston, TX | 37.6% | $86,853 |
| 40 | Buffalo, NY | 37.6% | $77,062 |
| 41 | Providence, RI | 37.5% | $92,239 |
| 42 | Virginia Beach, VA | 37.4% | $87,126 |
| 43 | Tampa, FL | 37.2% | $82,651 |
| 44 | Birmingham, AL | 36.9% | $75,472 |
| 45 | Detroit, MI | 36.7% | $79,203 |
| 46 | Phoenix, AZ | 36.4% | $91,093 |
| 47 | Greenville, SC | 35.8% | $72,282 |
| 48 | Cleveland, OH | 35.4% | $74,393 |
| 49 | Oklahoma City, OK | 34.3% | $75,433 |
| 50 | San Antonio, TX | 33.7% | $81,219 |
| 51 | Louisville, KY | 33.6% | $76,510 |
| 52 | Memphis, TN | 31.9% | $70,884 |
| 53 | Tulsa, OK | 30.9% | $72,014 |
| 54 | Las Vegas, NV | 28.4% | $82,187 |
| 55 | Riverside, CA | 26.3% | $94,933 |
| 56 | Fresno, CA | 22.3% | $74,752 |
Top 25 of all 387 metro areas
Including smaller metros, which can show more extreme values.
| Rank | Metro area | Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s or higher | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder, CO | 67.3% | $101,646 |
| 2 | Ann Arbor, MI | 60.3% | $89,052 |
| 3 | Bozeman, MT | 58.4% | $102,218 |
| 4 | Ithaca, NY | 58.2% | $72,432 |
| 5 | Charlottesville, VA | 57.7% | $101,038 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | 57.2% | $166,364 |
| 7 | Durham, NC | 57.2% | $91,715 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | 56.2% | $131,346 |
| 9 | Corvallis, OR | 55.7% | $79,408 |
| 10 | Amherst Town, MA | 55.6% | $96,020 |
| 11 | San Francisco, CA | 54.6% | $136,020 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | 54.3% | $101,695 |
| 13 | Boston, MA | 54.0% | $118,759 |
| 14 | Barnstable Town, MA | 54.0% | $100,561 |
| 15 | State College, PA | 53.8% | $74,675 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | 53.8% | $91,138 |
| 17 | Fort Collins, CO | 53.7% | $92,392 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | 53.5% | $102,427 |
| 19 | Bridgeport, CT | 52.9% | $120,502 |
| 20 | Iowa City, IA | 51.9% | $76,882 |
| 21 | Denver, CO | 50.6% | $107,733 |
| 22 | Ames, IA | 50.4% | $72,340 |
| 23 | Bloomington, IL | 50.2% | $81,950 |
| 24 | Burlington, VT | 50.2% | $98,509 |
| 25 | Seattle, WA | 49.3% | $120,018 |
Notes
Which large U.S. metro ranks first?+
San Jose, CA (57.2%), among metro areas with 1 million or more residents, based on 2025 Census data.
Where does this data come from?+
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, the most recent annual data for metro areas.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates (released September 2026), with 2024 and 2021 for trends. Figures are survey estimates with margins of error; small differences between metros may not be meaningful. Metro areas use the official Metropolitan Statistical Area boundaries. Compiled and analyzed by Metro Research. Methodology.
Free to cite with a link to this page. Download the full data (CSV).