The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that for the first time in history, more than one-third of American adults now have at least a Bachelor’s degree and high school completion rates are at an all-time peak. The advantages of education are well documented: studies have shown that high educational attainment correlates with higher rates of employment and earning potential. As a result, our most educated communities have an increasing capacity to become strong economic forces within the country.
Given the importance of educational achievement in the United States, the data scientists at Insurify set out to identify the most educated communities in each state. According to our data, these 50 communities—some established economic and cultural centers; some smaller, family-oriented towns—graduate at the top of their class.
To determine the most educated community in each U.S. state, Insurify analyzed over 1.4 million completed auto insurance applications in which individuals were asked about their city of residence and the highest level of education. Using a proprietary scoring algorithm, our analysts calculated a score for each applicant based on educational achievement, and, for current high school students, the likelihood of advancement to college based on reported GPA. The resulting data set was analyzed to determine the average scores for each city across all age ranges, and a composite score was created for each city. Top scoring cities were then selected for all U.S. states.
Winners of Insurify’s 2018 Most Educated Cities Award
Alabama: Auburn;
Alaska: Anchorage;
Arizona: Tempe;
Arkansas: Fayetteville;
California: La Jolla;
Colorado: Boulder;
Connecticut: West Hartford;
Delaware: Newark;
Florida: Marco Island;
Georgia: Alpharetta;
Hawaii: Honolulu;
Idaho: Rexburg;
Illinois: Buffalo Grove;
Indiana: Fishers;
Iowa: Ames;
Kansas: Lawrence;
Kentucky: Fort Thomas;
Louisiana: Mandeville;
Maine: Portland;
Maryland: Bethesda;
Massachusetts: Cambridge;
Michigan: East Lansing;
Minnesota: Eden Prairie;
Mississippi: Clinton;
Missouri: Chesterfield;
Montana: Bozeman;
Nebraska: Lincoln;
Nevada: Reno;
New Hampshire: Nashua;
New Jersey: Princeton;
New Mexico: Las Cruces;
New York: New York;
North Carolina: Carrboro;
North Dakota: Fargo;
Ohio: Dublin;
Oklahoma: Edmond;
Oregon: Corvallis;
Pennsylvania: State College;
Rhode Island: Providence;
South Carolina: Clemson;
South Dakota: Sioux Falls;
Tennessee: Brentwood;
Texas: College Station;
Utah: Park City;
Vermont: Burlington;
Virginia: McLean;
Washington: Sammamish;
West Virginia: Morgantown;
Wisconsin: Madison;
Wyoming: Laramie.