This article first appeared in Forbes. See EMSI’s Forbes contributor site here.
It’s well documented that a college education is a worthy investment for job seekers. But that’s only partially true. What really pays off is a completed college education.
U.S. adults aged 25 and above who have attended some college but don’t have a degree had an unemployment rate of 7.7% in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s nearly twice as high as the jobless rate for bachelor’s degree holders (4.5%) – and only marginally better than the rate for high school graduates (8.3%).
It’s no wonder why ramping up completions has become a major agenda item for politicians and education leaders: just 56-61% of first-time, full-time students at four-year schools complete their education within six years, and as of 2012, an estimated 44 million adults in the U.S. fall in the “some college, no degree” category.
That’s 21% of the adult population burdened with college debt
without the benefits of a degree, like better job prospects and higher earning potential once they land a job.*
To put these numbers in context, more Americans have attended some college without earning a degree than those who have completed bachelor’s degrees as their highest level of education, and more than twice as many have some college than associate’s degrees.
But this issue is more pronounced in certain U.S. cities than others. We looked at educational attainment data for the 100 most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S. – from New York City to Modesto, Calif. – to see which metros have the largest percentage of a some college-educated adults, and which have the smallest percentage.
The data comes from EMSI via the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
* Not all in the some college category should be viewed as college dropouts; adults who are currently in college but have yet to finish their degree could be included, as well as those who completed a vocational certificate below an associate’s degree.
Metros with the Greatest Share of Some College-Educated Adults
Two Utah metros – Provo-Orem and Ogden-Clearfield – have the highest shares of adults with some college but no degree. Not a distinction you’re likely to see in the cities’ promotional videos.
Nearly 30% of Provo-Orem adults have some postsecondary education without a degree, but this metro 60 miles south of Salt Lake City is also in the top 10 in the share of adults with bachelor’s degrees (24.8%) and adults with associate’s degrees and higher (46%).
Ogden-Clearfield comes in at No. 2, but it too has a silver lining: no metro among the 100 largest has seen a bigger drop since 2001 in the proportion of adults with some college (from 30% to 27.9%).
Considering Salt Lake City, which is tied for ninth, three Utah metros are in the top 10. And from a state perspective, Utah ranks second with the highest share of adults with some college, at 27.3% (behind Alaska, at 29.4%).
Why does Utah figure so prominently in these rankings? One possible explanation: In the state and each of its big metros, more women fall under the some college category than men. This is notable because women in Utah get married for the first time at the youngest age in the U.S. (median age: 23.3), according to the Pew Research Center. And as Mary Ann Holladay, director of the Utah Women and Education Initiative, said last month to the Deseret News, “Women clearly face unique challenges in balancing families, jobs and education.”
1, Provo-Orem, Utah – 29.1% some college; 46% associate’s and above
2, Ogden-Clearfield, Utah — 27.9% some college; 39.2% associate’s and above
3, Boise-Nampa, Idaho – 27% some college; 36.3% associate’s and above
4, Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville – 26.5% some college; 39% associate’s and above
5 (tie), Colorado Springs – 26% some college; 44.6% associate’s and above
5 (tie), Wichita, Kans. – 26% some college; 33.7% associate’s and above
5 (tie), Tucson, Ariz. – 26% some college; 37.5% associate’s and above
8, Oklahoma City – 25.9% some college; 33% associate’s and above
9 (tie), Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport New, Va.-N.C. – 25.8% some college; 36.4% associate’s and above
9 (tie), Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. – 25.8% some college; 41.3% associate’s and above
9 (tie), Salt Lake City – 25.8% some college; 38.2% associate’s and above
12, Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz. – 25.5% some college; 35.9% associate’s and above
Metros with the Smallest Share of Some College-Educated Adults
The best-educated metros don’t necessarily have the smallest percentages of adults with some college. But they do have an overall lower share of adults who have not moved past high school or the first years of college.
When looking at these rankings, it’s important to consider the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree and above. Some metros, like Lancaster, Pa., and McAllen, Texas, that have a very small share of some college-educated adults also have a small share of college degrees overall. Then there are metros like Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, which is tied with Lancaster for the second-lowest percentage of some college adults (15.5%), but it has far outpaces Lancaster in terms of adults with at least an associate’s degree (49.9% to 28.4%).
Of the following 10 metros, five are in Pennsylvania and four are major metros with high educational attainment overall – Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn., Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, the expansive New York City metro, and Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is tied for eighth for the smallest share of some college-educated adults, but it ranks No. 1 among the 100 largest metros in its share of adults with at least an associate’s degree (52.4 percent).
1, Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. – 15.2% some college; 49.1% associate’s and above
2 tie, Lancaster, Pa. – 15.5% some college; 28.4% associate’s and above
2 tie, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy – 15.5% some college; 49.9% associate’s and above
4, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island – 15.7% some college; 42.1% associate’s and above
5 tie, Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. –16.7% some college; 36% associate’s and above
5 tie, Pittsburgh, Pa. – 16.7% some college; 37.5% associate’s and above
7, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas – 16.8% some college; 19.2% associate’s and above
8 tie, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.V. – 17.3% some college; 52.4% associate’s and above
8 tie, Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – 17.3% some college; 29.3% associate’s and above
10, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa. – 17.5% some college; 33.7% associate’s and above
EMSI educational attainment data for the 100 largest metros can be found in the following table. And below it, the same data for each state and Washington, D.C. are presented.
| Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2012 Percentage of Adults With Some College | 2012 Population with Some College |
|---|---|---|
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS (via EMSI) | ||
| Provo-Orem, UT (39340) | 29.1% | 78,891 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT (36260) | 27.9% | 91,963 |
| Boise City-Nampa, ID (14260) | 27.0% | 109,761 |
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA (40900) | 26.5% | 380,304 |
| Tucson, AZ (46060) | 26.0% | 173,090 |
| Wichita, KS (48620) | 26.0% | 105,179 |
| Colorado Springs, CO (17820) | 26.0% | 111,655 |
| Oklahoma City, OK (36420) | 25.9% | 215,880 |
| Salt Lake City, UT (41620) | 25.8% | 182,945 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900) | 25.8% | 403,339 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (47260) | 25.8% | 283,408 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ (38060) | 25.5% | 713,912 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140) | 25.1% | 673,325 |
| Las Vegas-Paradise, NV (29820) | 25.0% | 330,897 |
| Albuquerque, NM (10740) | 25.0% | 151,182 |
| Modesto, CA (33700) | 24.9% | 79,808 |
| Tulsa, OK (46140) | 24.5% | 153,171 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (41700) | 24.5% | 348,442 |
| Stockton, CA (44700) | 24.4% | 104,379 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA (36540) | 24.3% | 139,719 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA (37100) | 24.2% | 132,075 |
| Jacksonville, FL (27260) | 24.2% | 223,962 |
| Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI (19820) | 24.1% | 696,496 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL (37340) | 23.9% | 95,085 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR (32820) | 23.6% | 202,159 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR (30780) | 23.6% | 112,082 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660) | 23.6% | 570,841 |
| Jackson, MS (27140) | 23.6% | 83,707 |
| Dayton, OH (19380) | 23.5% | 133,898 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS (28140) | 23.4% | 322,771 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI (24340) | 23.4% | 118,739 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540) | 23.1% | 118,057 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA (41740) | 23.1% | 480,065 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL (41180) | 23.0% | 440,514 |
| Toledo, OH (45780) | 22.6% | 96,178 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860) | 22.6% | 83,776 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL (15980) | 22.6% | 106,559 |
| Fresno, CA (23420) | 22.5% | 126,892 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (31140) | 22.5% | 199,479 |
| El Paso, TX (21340) | 22.3% | 110,620 |
| Baton Rouge, LA (12940) | 22.2% | 115,817 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH (17460) | 22.2% | 316,321 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX (26420) | 22.0% | 860,209 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA (35380) | 22.0% | 179,736 |
| Honolulu, HI (26180) | 21.9% | 140,539 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (33460) | 21.9% | 487,967 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (19100) | 21.9% | 921,359 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL (35840) | 21.9% | 119,302 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL (13820) | 21.8% | 167,787 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC (24660) | 21.8% | 107,336 |
| Columbia, SC (17900) | 21.8% | 112,454 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (45300) | 21.7% | 437,693 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (36740) | 21.7% | 316,959 |
| Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC (16700) | 21.7% | 100,421 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (12260) | 21.7% | 81,319 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI (33340) | 21.7% | 226,353 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (12420) | 21.7% | 254,350 |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO (19740) | 21.4% | 379,149 |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC (16740) | 21.3% | 255,850 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780) | 21.3% | 82,856 |
| Knoxville, TN (28940) | 21.2% | 102,838 |
| Richmond, VA (40060) | 20.8% | 180,323 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA (12060) | 20.8% | 734,822 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980) | 20.7% | 225,230 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (16980) | 20.4% | 1,289,129 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC (39580) | 20.3% | 157,363 |
| Columbus, OH (18140) | 20.2% | 247,919 |
| Akron, OH (10420) | 20.1% | 95,082 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN (17140) | 20.1% | 285,431 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN (26900) | 20.0% | 234,928 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (29460) | 19.9% | 83,730 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA (31100) | 19.8% | 1,689,376 |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD (12580) | 19.8% | 367,711 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA (49660) | 19.6% | 76,913 |
| Madison, WI (31540) | 19.3% | 74,029 |
| Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC (24860) | 18.9% | 81,418 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860) | 18.9% | 589,393 |
| Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY (39100) | 18.8% | 82,797 |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (15380) | 18.5% | 144,319 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (33100) | 18.4% | 739,195 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (25540) | 18.2% | 152,068 |
| Syracuse, NY (45060) | 18.2% | 80,373 |
| Springfield, MA (44140) | 18.1% | 82,800 |
| New Haven-Milford, CT (35300) | 17.9% | 105,576 |
| Rochester, NY (40380) | 17.9% | 127,420 |
| Worcester, MA (49340) | 17.7% | 96,076 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (10580) | 17.6% | 104,835 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940) | 17.6% | 223,152 |
| Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA (39300) | 17.6% | 192,261 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980) | 17.6% | 715,167 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (10900) | 17.5% | 100,300 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (47900) | 17.3% | 675,361 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540) | 17.3% | 68,873 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580) | 16.8% | 75,888 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA (25420) | 16.7% | 64,114 |
| Pittsburgh, PA (38300) | 16.7% | 280,609 |
| New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA (35620) | 15.7% | 2,050,885 |
| Lancaster, PA (29540) | 15.5% | 54,039 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH (14460) | 15.5% | 493,263 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (14860) | 15.2% | 95,992 |
Our last table shows the percentage of some college among adults in every state. The top 10 is made up of all Western states, and particularly Pacific Northwest states (Idaho, Oregon, Washington). Conversely, the bottom eight — the states with the smallest share of some college among their adult population — are Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Washington, D.C. has the smallest percentage (13.7%), followed by Massachusetts (16.3%), and New York and Pennsylvania (both 16.4%).
| State | 2012 Percentage of Adults With Some College | 2012 Population with Some College |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska (AK) | 29.4% | 135,925 |
| Utah (UT) | 27.3% | 449,460 |
| Wyoming (WY) | 27.0% | 103,406 |
| Idaho (ID) | 26.8% | 272,949 |
| Oregon (OR) | 26.6% | 712,933 |
| Arizona (AZ) | 26.2% | 1,125,796 |
| Nevada (NV) | 25.9% | 476,376 |
| Washington (WA) | 25.3% | 1,174,089 |
| Montana (MT) | 24.5% | 168,558 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 24.1% | 597,787 |
| Kansas (KS) | 24.0% | 450,137 |
| Michigan (MI) | 24.0% | 1,580,500 |
| Nebraska (NE) | 23.9% | 289,808 |
| North Dakota (ND) | 23.9% | 108,752 |
| New Mexico (NM) | 23.7% | 326,836 |
| Hawaii (HI) | 22.5% | 208,469 |
| Missouri (MO) | 22.5% | 910,467 |
| Minnesota (MN) | 22.5% | 808,820 |
| Colorado (CO) | 22.4% | 773,836 |
| Texas (TX) | 22.3% | 3,670,950 |
| Mississippi (MS) | 22.1% | 428,653 |
| Arkansas (AR) | 22.1% | 433,678 |
| South Dakota (SD) | 22.1% | 120,304 |
| California (CA) | 21.9% | 5,429,192 |
| Iowa (IA) | 21.6% | 442,246 |
| North Carolina (NC) | 21.4% | 1,398,024 |
| Alabama (AL) | 21.2% | 684,759 |
| Illinois (IL) | 21.2% | 1,818,261 |
| Florida (FL) | 21.1% | 2,849,521 |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 21.0% | 811,847 |
| Tennessee (TN) | 20.8% | 904,050 |
| Louisiana (LA) | 20.7% | 625,423 |
| Indiana (IN) | 20.6% | 884,119 |
| Georgia (GA) | 20.5% | 1,320,219 |
| Ohio (OH) | 20.5% | 1,593,077 |
| South Carolina (SC) | 20.3% | 642,873 |
| Kentucky (KY) | 19.9% | 590,581 |
| Virginia (VA) | 19.9% | 1,092,281 |
| Maine (ME) | 19.8% | 188,342 |
| Delaware (DE) | 19.8% | 122,609 |
| Maryland (MD) | 19.5% | 772,189 |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 19.2% | 177,020 |
| West Virginia (WV) | 18.0% | 235,312 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 17.9% | 127,220 |
| Connecticut (CT) | 17.6% | 434,307 |
| Vermont (VT) | 17.4% | 75,936 |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 17.0% | 1,028,557 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 16.4% | 1,436,947 |
| New York (NY) | 16.4% | 2,175,669 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 16.3% | 738,304 |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 13.7% | 59,908 |
Data for this post comes from Analyst, EMSI’s web-based labor market data and analysis tool. For more information, see our Analyst page or contact Josh Wright (jwright@economicmodeling.com). Follow us on Twitter @DesktopEcon.
I’m confused. Is the chart showing that only 28% of Americans have a high school diploma?
Hi, Dale. Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed. So 28% of Americans have topped out at a high school degree. I hope that helps clear this up.