by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
September 2, 2024
Atlanta has secured the #1 spot in Forbes’ most educated cities ranking.
A new report by Forbes has claimed Atlanta takes the top spot for most educated city in the United States.
The publication released the rankings on Aug. 28, determining that the Georgia capital is first on its list of 100 cities. However, their rankings are a combination of multiple factors that made Atlanta its top dog.
Their rankings incorporate high school dropout rates, graduate degree attainment rates, and gender and racial gaps in obtaining one’s degrees. With these stats in mind, Atlanta remains “primed to produce more innovation and tax revenue.” In turn, companies with locations in Atlanta seek out educated workers, with more qualified individuals flocking into the city as a result.
According to the rankings, Atlanta’s bachelor completion rate boasts nearly 60% for those 25 and older. Over 26% of those in that age range also hold graduate degrees. In their description of Atlanta’s top ranking, the news outlet mentioned its esteemed universities as an additional push.
The report stated, “Home to major colleges like Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University, it’s no surprise that Atlanta is a highly educated city.”
However, despite the city’s successes, its drawbacks include a wide racial gap in bachelor’s degree attainment. In this stat, Atlanta has a -22.32 percentage. Its runner-up, Arlington, Virginia, has a much narrower gap at 10.27%. Moreover, it also hosts a higher bachelor’s and graduate degree attainment, at 78.22% and 42.56%, respectively. However, it does have a smaller amount of those 25 and older with some college without a degree, with only 7.50%.
Despite this difference, Atlanta’s 5.71% high school dropout rate and higher percentage of those with some college solidified its status. Furthermore, the city continues to host a diverse population, with over 47% of its residents identifying as Black, per Data USA. Other cities rounding out the top 5 include St. Petersburg (FL), San Antonio (TX), and San Diego (CA).
While all these cities boast high bachelor’s completion rates, Atlanta maintains its status at the #1 city for its educated and diverse population.
RELATED CONTENT: Top 10 Cities For African Americans
