Research Ranks 85 Metro Markets By Adult Educational Achievement.

The percentage of adults with a college degree is increasing while the percentage of adults without a high school diploma is decreasing in the 85 metro markets surveyed regularly by The Media Audit.

Since 1997 the percent of the adult population in the 85 markets with one or more college degrees increased from 33.0 percent to 34.4 percent. In total numbers that’s an increase from 38,883,000 to 44,167,000.

During the same period, the number of adults (age 18+) with “some high school or less” increased from 11,848,000 to 12,075,000. However, as a percent of the population surveyed the number of those (age 18+) with “some high school or less” decreased from 10.1 percent to 9.4 percent.

The Media Audit data also reveals that 12.0 percent or 15,464,000 adults in the 85 markets had advanced college degrees in 2001 compared to 11.2 percent or 13,173,000 adults in 1997.

“The improvement in these measurements may not be dramatic, but all three measurements are headed in the right direction at the same time and that is good news,” says Bob Jordan, co-chairman of International Demographics, Inc., a 31-year-old research firm that produces The Media Audit. “The bad news,” adds Jordan, “is that there are enormous differences between individual markets.”

Significant Differences Between Metro Markets

The education attainment difference that can exist between markets is demonstrated dramatically when Ann Arbor and Memphis are compared. Fifty-two percent of Ann Arbor’s adults have one or more college degrees. In the Memphis market just 23 percent have one or more college degrees.

“When marketing and advertising people are tempted to group markets it would be helpful to remember Ann Arbor and Memphis,” says Jordan.

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