The 20 Smartest Cities in America and Michigan Is Home to #1

Apparently, America's brainiest people do not just wander the country aimlessly with tote bags full of library books and reusable water bottles. According to WalletHub's latest ranking of the most educated cities in America, they tend to cluster in certain areas, and honestly, it makes sense that they flock to Michigan.

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Smart people go where the jobs are. Then more companies show up because there's already a pool of smart people there. Then coffee shops multiply, rent skyrockets, and suddenly everyone in line at brunch has a graduate degree and several opinions they're willing to share, with or without asking.

What Makes a City “Educated,” Anyway?

person playing magic cube

The wizards at WalletHub compared the 150 largest metro areas in America using 11 education metrics. The study looked at educational attainment, including high school diplomas, college experience, bachelor's degrees, and graduate degrees. It also considered public school quality, university quality, and education gaps.

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So this is not just a ranking of cities where people own a lot of hardcover books and like to display them. It is a broader look at where education, opportunity, and access tend to overlap.

Michigan Shows Up Ready For Class

white and brown concrete building during nighttime

For Michigan, this study is especially interesting because one metro did more than make the honor roll. It finished at the very top. That says something about the Mitten State's higher education pipeline, its research economy, and the communities built around it.

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Here are the 20 most well-educated cities in America, counting down to WalletHub's number one.