Oh Denver, you think you’re so smart, but Colorado Springs is a more intellectual town, according to a
Colorado Springs ranks as the eighth
most educated city in the nation among the 150
metropolitan statistical areas examined in the 2014 Most and Least Educated Cities report. Denver ranks 28th.
To identify America’s “intellectual hubs,” WalletHub looked at two key factors: “education level” and “quality of education,” both of which were weighed equally.
The analysis — based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, GreatSchools.org and U.S. News & World Report — also considered the number of medical doctors per capita, the percentage of workers with computer, engineering and science jobs, and the quality of public schools and the quality and size of each community’s universities.
Colorado Springs has the second highest percentage of people age 25 and older with a high school diploma and ranked No. 4 for percentage of adult residents with some college experience or an associate’s degree.
Colorado Springs ranked ninth in education level and 31st in quality of education.
Denver ranked 16th in education level and 61st in quality of education.
Ann Arbor, Mich., ranked as the most educated city with Raleigh, N.C. ranking No. 2.
The least educated city was Beaumont, Texas, followed by Salinas, Calif.
And why does it matter? WalletHub says there is a correlation between education and economic might, reporting that San Jose, Calif., with an overall ranking of No. 7 has a median household income of $88,689, compared with McAllen, Texas, ranked No. 142 and reporting $33,549 in median household income. Denver’s median income was $61,351, according to the report.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or twitter.com/howardpankratz
