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Brain Gain Keeps Greater Washington Nation’s
Most Educated Region
Nearly half of adult residents have at least a Bachelor’s Degree

August 24, 2006; Washington , DC – The movement of college graduates to Greater Washington helped the region hold its top spot as the nation’s most educated metropolitan region, new U.S. Census data reveals.

An analysis of the data by the Greater Washington Initiative shows that the region’s population grew and the percentage of the adult population with Bachelor’s degrees increased from 42.5% to 45.9% between 2000 and 2005. The national average is 27.2%.

Greater Washington also tops the list for the percentage of adults with advanced degrees; the percentage rose from 19% in 2000 to 21.3% in 2005, more than twice the national average of 9.9%.

Greater Washington Initiative’s analysis of the data by the Greater Washington Initiative also reveals:

  • More than one in five of women (over 25 years in age) in the Greater Washington region have an advanced degree; more than double that of the national average.
  • 43.9% of local women have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, the highest percentage in the nation.
  • Six of the nation’s top ten counties for the percentage of adults with Bachelor’s degrees are in Greater Washington. These include: Arlington County, City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, Howard County, Montgomery County and Loudoun County.
  • 95,000 residents in Greater Washington have a doctorate degree, a higher number than in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.

    • The Greater Washington Initiative analyzed educational attainment for 300 metropolitan regions and counties around the country.

    Top Ten Metropolitan regions (with population of 1 million+)

     Rank

    Metro

    Total: BA and Above (%)

    Total: Advanced Degrees

    1

    Greater Washington

    45.92%

    21.35%

    2

    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA  Metro Area

    43.76%

    18.32%

    3

    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont , CA   Metro Area

    43.15%

    16.58%

    4

    Boston-Cambridge-Quincy , MA -NH  Metro Area

    40.59%

    17.77%

    5

    Austin-Round Rock, TX  Metro Area

    39.07%

    12.97%

    6

    Minneapolis-St. Paul- Bloomington, MN-WI  Metro Area

    36.97%

    11.74%

    7

    Denver -Aurora, CO  Metro Area

    36.78%

    12.80%

    8

    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue , WA   Metro Area

    35.83%

    12.28%

    9

    New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA  Metro Area

    34.85%

    14.20%

    10

    Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA  Metro Area

    34.32%

    11.57%

    Source: U.S. Census 2005, GWI Analysis, 2006

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    The Greater Washington Initiative ( GWI) is the regional economic development marketing organization that assists firms in expanding their businesses in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland. GWI provides complimentary and confidential client services and research and is an affiliate of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. For more info, visit www.greaterwashington.org

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    Contact GWI

    Greater Washington Initiative
    (202) 857-5999