Top Educated Cities in California Mostly in Bay Area

With 79.7 percent of its residents with a bachelor's degree or higher, Palo Alto, home to tech giants Facebook and Hewlett-Packard, is the most educated city in California, reports Joanna Lin for California Watch.

1 minute read

November 16, 2011, 9:00 AM PST

By Kristopher Fortin


Palo Alto has the state's highest rate of graduate or professional degrees among residents age 25 and older at 49.8 percent, and about 8 of 10 residents age 25 and older hold at least a bachelor's degree according to the 2008-10 American Community Survey.

The bay area boasts eight of the top most educated cities in California, while 9 least educated cities reside in Los Angeles County, according to an analysis by the California Department of Finance's Demographic Research Unit.

"Compared with the rest of the nation, California has slightly higher rates of bachelor's and graduate or professional degrees. But it also has more residents with less than a ninth-grade education: 10.5 percent versus 6.2 percent."

Monday, November 14, 2011 in California Watch

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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Mary G., Urban Planner

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