Educational Attainment

Greater Baltimore is among the most highly educated regions in the U.S.

  • Among the 25 largest U.S. metro areas, the Baltimore MSA ranks 8th for college education attainment with 34.7% of the population holding a bachelors degree or higher—well above the national average of 27.9%.
  • Perhaps more striking, Greater Baltimore ranks 4th in population attaining Advanced Degrees among the 25 largest U.S. metro areas.

[Download XLS] our most recent demographic figures.

Educational Attainment
 
Educational Attainment
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
 
Advanced Degree
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rank
MSA
2009
 
Rank
MSA
2009
1
Washington D.C.
47.3%
 
1
Washington D.C.
22.6%
2
San Francisco
43.5%
 
2
Boston
18.3%
3
Boston
42.2%
 
3
San Francisco
16.9%
4
Denver
37.6%
 
4
Baltimore
14.8%
5
Minneapolis
37.6%
 
5
New York
14.7%
6
Seattle
37.4%
 
6
Chicago
13.0%
7
New York
35.7%
 
7
Seattle
13.0%
8
Baltimore
34.7%
 
8
Denver
12.9%
9
San Diego
34.6%
 
9
Philadelphia
12.9%
10
Atlanta
34.1%
 
10
San Diego
12.6%
11
Portland
33.9%
 
11
Minneapolis
12.4%
12
Chicago
33.5%
 
12
Portland
12.0%
13
Philadelphia
32.3%
 
13
Atlanta
11.9%
14
Los Angeles
30.1%
 
14
St. Louis
11.6%
15
Dallas
30.0%
 
15
Pittsburgh
10.6%
16
Sacramento
29.7%
 
16
Cincinnati
10.5%
17
St. Louis
29.4%
 
17
Cleveland
10.3%
18
Cincinnati
28.5%
 
18
Detroit
10.3%
19
Houston
27.9%
 
19
Los Angeles
10.3%
20
Pittsburgh
27.9%
 
 
United States
10.3%
 
United States
27.9%
 
20
Miami
10.1%
23
Miami
27.7%
 
21
Dallas
9.8%
24
Phoenix
27.3%
 
22
Sacramento
9.8%
25
Cleveland
26.9%
 
23
Phoenix
9.7%
26
Detroit
26.3%
 
24
Houston
9.5%
27
Tampa
24.6%
 
25
Tampa
8.5%
28
Riverside
19.1%
 
26
Riverside
6.6%
Data Source: US Census, 2009 American Community Survey
 
Data Source: US Census, 2009 American Community Survey