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10 cities that attract the most science and engineering college graduates
Two female scientists discuss their findings in a laboratory setting
As the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) continue to grow, more and more students are focusing on these fields of study. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 42 percent more STEM degrees were awarded in 2020-21 than 10 years earlier.
With that in mind, SmartAsset examined data from the Census Bureau to determine which cities have the highest percentage of people 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree in STEM. We looked at 322 places with the largest 25-and-over populations.
Key findings
Cambridge, Massachusetts is #1. No city has a higher percentage of adults with STEM degrees than Cambridge. Home to Harvard University and MIT, almost half (48.76%) of all Cambridge residents aged 25 and over have a bachelor’s degree in science and engineering.
Over 75% of adults in these cities have a bachelor’s degree. More than three-quarters of people 25 and older in Cambridge, Arlington, Virginia, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, have a bachelor’s degree. This is more than double the average (37.4%).
New York has the largest STEM base. New York has 2.5 times more people with STEM degrees (900,902) than Los Angeles, which has the second highest number of STEM-educated adults (349,493). However, the Big Apple ranked 112th because of its large population.
Seattle, San Francisco and Austin are 10th, 16th and 28th. However, several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area and the greater Seattle area make the top 10. Roughly one-third (34.7%) of Seattle adults have a STEM degree, compared to 29.6% in San Francisco and 25.0% in Austin.
California is home to eight of the 25 cities with the highest percentage of STEM majors. At the state level, STEM is most prevalent in California. Four cities make the top 10, including Sunnyvale (44.6%), Santa Clara (42.4%), Berkeley (40.5%) and Fremont (40.4%). Irvine (34.7%), San Mateo (30.4%), San Francisco and Santa Monica (28.2%) also made decreases.
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A closer look at the 10 best STEM cities in the US
Chart showing the top 20 STEM cities in the US based on the number of STEM bachelor’s degree holders
1. Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge tops the list with an impressive 48.76% of the adult population holding science and engineering degrees. Additionally, a whopping 81.44% of Cambridge adults hold a bachelor’s degree, demonstrating the city’s commitment to higher education. Of the 64,657 people 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree, 7.33% have business degrees, 2.21% hold education degrees, and 17.15% have arts or humanities degrees.
2. Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale came in second, with 44.59% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees, underscoring the city’s connection to tech-heavy Silicon Valley. Approximately 67.33% of Sunnyvale adults who are 25 and older have earned a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, 8.19% of the population have business degrees, 2.04% have education degrees, and 9.40% have arts and humanities degrees.
3. Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara follows closely behind in third place, with 42.40% of the adult population holding science and engineering degrees. Just under 66% of Santa Clara residents who are 25 and older (59,903) have a bachelor’s degree. Of these people, 8.64% have business degrees, 1.57% have education degrees, and 8.23% have graduated with an arts or humanities degree.
4. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, secures the fourth position, with 40.65% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. An impressive 75.38% of Ann Arbor adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree. Of those 52,406 people who live in Ann Arbor, 5.70% have graduated with business degrees, while 3.93% and 19.43% have related education and degrees in the arts or humanities.
5. Berkeley, California
This Bay Area city, home to the University of California, Berkeley, ranks fifth with 40.53% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. Nearly 74% of residents 25 and older – 55,497 people – have a bachelor’s degree. Business degrees are held by 4.08% of this population, while 1.60% have education degrees and 23.54% have arts or humanities degrees.
6. Fremont, California
Fremont ranks sixth, with 40.36% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. About 63.69% of Fremont adults age 25 and older (102,588 people) hold a bachelor’s degree. Business degrees are held by 9.45% of this population, while 1.69% have education degrees and 7.25% have studied arts or humanities.
7. Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue ranks seventh, with 39.18% of its senior population holding science and engineering degrees. A total of 77,580 adults age 25 and older (70.73%) earned a bachelor’s degree. A significant percentage of these people (13.20%) graduated with business degrees, while 3.55% had education degrees and 10.89% held arts or humanities degrees.
8. Arlington, Virginia
Arlington secures the eighth position, with 37.79% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. Meanwhile, 76.61% of Arlington adults 25 and older (131,184 people) hold a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, 12.98% of the population hold business degrees, 3.14% hold education degrees, and 19.71% hold arts or humanities degrees.
9. Cary, North Carolina
Cary ranks ninth, with 36.13% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. About 70.27% of Cary adults who are 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree. Of the 82,909 adults who attained this level of education, 14.23% had business degrees, 3.34% had education degrees, and 10.06% had arts or humanities degrees.
10. Seattle, Washington
Seattle closes out the top 10, with 34.78% of its adult population holding science and engineering degrees. A significant percentage – 68.28% – of Seattle adults 25 and older have earned a bachelor’s degree. Of Seattle residents with these degrees, 8.42% hold business degrees, 2.30% have education degrees, and 17.83% have studied arts or humanities degrees.
Data and methodology
For the 322 places with the largest population aged 25 and over, Census Bureau data were compared for 2021 and 2016. Specifically, the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree in Science and Engineering was taken attention that includes degrees in mathematics and technology degrees.
This story is produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.