A new study ranked the 10 smartest cities in America, and the winner wasn’t even close

WalletHub compared 150 metro areas using education levels, school quality, university rankings, and educational equality.

As a Wisconsinite, I am always pleased when our state lands near the top of one of these national rankings, especially when the category is something other than cheese or beer.

This time, Madison has been named the fifth-most educated metro area in America. It finished ahead of major hubs including Boston, San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle.

WalletHub compared the country’s 150 largest metropolitan areas using 11 measures related to educational attainment, education quality, and equality. While calling these the “smartest” cities makes for a snappier headline, the study is really measuring where residents have attained the most formal education and where strong educational opportunities exist.

Here are the 10 metro areas that came out on top.

10. Seattle, Washington

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue completed the top 10 with a score of 75.21. The metro placed 11th for educational attainment and eighth for education quality and attainment gaps.

That probably will not surprise anyone familiar with the area’s concentration of technology companies. Microsoft and Amazon are both headquartered in the Seattle region, while the University of Washington draws students and researchers from around the world.

9. Austin, Texas

The Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area ranked ninth overall and fourth in the study’s education quality and attainment gap category.

Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin, along with a sizable technology sector that continues to attract highly educated workers. The city has changed dramatically in recent years, but its combination of education, government, and tech remains a major part of its identity.

8. Boston, Massachusetts

I expected Boston to be closer to the top, considering how many major colleges and universities are clustered around the city. Still, eighth place among 150 metro areas is hardly a poor showing.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton ranked fifth for educational attainment. Its overall position dropped because it came in 65th for education quality and attainment gaps, a category that also accounts for educational equality.

Boston’s academic reputation is only part of its appeal. It is also one of the best U.S. cities for travelers interested in American history, which was a major focus in the video above.

7. Raleigh, North Carolina

The Raleigh-Cary metro area ranked seventh overall and seventh for educational attainment. It also had the third-highest share of adults with at least some college experience or an associate degree.

Raleigh is one corner of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, along with Durham and Chapel Hill. The region’s universities, research institutions, and technology companies make it a natural destination for highly educated workers.

6. San Francisco, California

San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley came in sixth with a score of 78.92. It ranked eighth for educational attainment and seventh for education quality and attainment gaps.

With the University of California, Berkeley, nearby and Silicon Valley just to the south, the Bay Area has long attracted people working in technology, research, finance, and other highly specialized fields.

5. Madison, Wisconsin

Madison earned a score of 79.62, placing sixth for educational attainment and 16th for education quality and attainment gaps. It also had the country’s third-highest share of adults with at least a high school diploma and the fourth-highest share with some college experience or an associate degree.

As a Wisconsinite, I was happy to see Madison this high on the list, although I cannot say I was shocked. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a major research university, and the city is also the state capital. That combination brings in students, academics, medical professionals, researchers, and government employees.

Madison is also a really fun city to visit. Between the lakes, the Capitol Square, the farmers market, museums, restaurants, and Badgers games, it feels much livelier than its size might suggest.

Milwaukee-Waukesha was the other Wisconsin metro included in the rankings, coming in at No. 54.

4. Washington, D.C.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area ranked fourth overall and third for educational attainment. It placed 36th in education quality and attainment gaps.

The federal government is an obvious source of jobs requiring advanced degrees, but the region also has universities, research organizations, nonprofits, law firms, and government contractors. It is one of the least surprising names in the top five.

3. San Jose, California

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara placed third overall with a score of 82.67. More than 55% of adults age 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, while nearly 28% have a graduate or professional degree.

The metro also ranked third for university quality. As the heart of Silicon Valley, it has an enormous concentration of engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology workers.

2. Durham, North Carolina

Durham-Chapel Hill claimed second place with an overall score of 85. It ranked second for educational attainment and first for education quality and attainment gaps.

More than 53% of adults age 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree, and 26% hold a graduate or professional degree. Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and nearby Research Triangle Park all contribute to the area’s highly educated population.

1. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor was named the most educated metro area in America by a fairly wide margin, earning a score of 94.48. Durham, the runner-up, scored 85.

More than 96% of Ann Arbor-area adults age 25 and older have completed high school. Nearly 59% hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and almost 32% have an advanced degree.

The metro, home to the University of Michigan, also ranked first for educational attainment, second for education quality and attainment gaps, and first for the quality of its public-school system.

And this is not the only recent ranking where Wisconsin performed well. The state was also named one of the best states to live in America, which is another result I was pleased to see as someone who chooses to call Wisconsin home.

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