Bethesda Avenue in Bethesda, MD

An analysis of US Census Bureau data shows that the East Coast is home to a large number of the most educated cities in America. Maryland and Massachusetts placed more cities in the top 20 than any other state and took down the top two spots with Bethesda, MD, coming in at No. 1 and Brookline, MA, at No. 2. The data was used to determine the educational levels of residents in over 2,000 places and to calculate an overall score for each place based on its findings with high school and college graduation levels weighted most heavily. About 86% of Americans 25 years or older have graduated from high school and 29% hold a bachelor’s degree, according to NerdWallet. Some common themes among cities that fared well are proximity to well-regarded universities and a strong base of corporations and employment opportunities. As would be expected, the tech haven of Silicon Valley fared well in the rankings by placing three cities in the top 20. Rounding out the top 5 are Potomac, MD; Palo Alto, CA; and McLean, VA. [NerdWallet]