Despite the rising costs involved in attending university, the pursuit of a degree-level education is becoming increasingly common with each generation. Roughly 41 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 are currently enrolled in a two- or four-year degree-granting institution, compared with 25.5 percent enrolled in 1967, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. There is good reason to pursue a bachelor’s degree as in 2013 the typical American adult with a degree earned more than double someone with only a high school diploma. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona, has topped a list of the least educated cities in the United States . Half of America's least educated cities are in California, although worst of all was Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona . But as people with the best education move to areas with the best paid jobs, left behind are the nation’s cities with the lowest education levels. These metropolitan areas are ‘stuck in a vicious cycle’, according to Pedro Noguera, professor of education at New York University. ‘Low levels of education make it difficult for them to attract businesses that pay higher wages.’ To rank the ten least educated cities in the U.S., 24/7 Wall St. reviewed metrics including cities with the lowest percentage of adults 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, median household income, median earnings and the poverty rate. The results produced a list of cities that have historically been dependent on agriculture and mining and which now find themselves without a foothold in the technology sector and other industries which are running the economy. In second spot was Dalton, Georgia. Known as the carpet capital of the world, its economy was hammered by the Great Recession . The top ten least-educated cities are: . 10. Vineland-Bridgeton, New Jersey . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.7 percent . Median household income: $45,978 (148th lowest) Median earnings - bachelor’s degree: $53,187 (30th highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $23,818 . Poverty rate: 20.6 percent (58th highest), compared to less than 16% nationwide. 9. Merced, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.5 percent . Median household income: $40,687 (54th lowest) Median earnings - bachelor’s degree: $41,719 (116th lowest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $32,000 . Poverty rate: 25.2 percent (13th highest) Less than 68 percent of adults living in Merced had finished high school, compared to 87 per cent nationwide . Nearly 16 percent of the population did not have U.S. citizenship last year - one of the highest percentages nationwide. Non-citizens are less likely to attend college. 8. Visalia-Porterville, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.3 percent . Median household income: $39,422 (29th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $50,569 (73rd highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $20,515 . Poverty rate: 30.1 per cent (4th highest) Nearly 19 percent of the workforce were employed in agricultural sectors, versus just 2 percent nationwide. 7. Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.2 percent . Median household income: $54,070 (96th highest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $46,659 (139th highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $38,000 . Poverty rate: 13.6 percent (88th lowest) 6. Madera, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.0 percent . Median household income: $39,758 (36th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $49,994 (90th highest) Poverty rate: 23.6 percent (21st highest) Once had a flourishing lumber industry, Madera now has a diversified agricultural industry . Like several other cities with low educational attainment rates, Madera also has a relatively large immigrant population. Last year, an estimated 16.2 percent of the area population were not U.S. citizens, one of the highest percentages nationwide. Hanford-Corcoran, California: More than 17 per cent of Hanford’s workforce is employed in the agriculture, forestry, and mining industries . 5. Hanford-Corcoran, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.9 percent (tied-4th lowest) Median household income: $45,774 (144th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $46,719 (138th highest) Poverty rate: 21.4 percent (47th highest) More than 17 per cent of Hanford’s workforce is employed in the agriculture, forestry, and mining industries. 4. Farmington, New Mexico . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.9 percent (tied-4th lowest) Median household income: $43,787 (103rd lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $40,503 (72nd lowest) Poverty rate: 22.7 percent (27th highest) Wages may be expected to grow in the near future, as the San Juan Basin - located less than two hours from Farmington - is a major source of New Mexico’s budding oil boom. More than one in 10 members of the area’s workforce were employed in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries - which includes the energy sector. 3. El Centro, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.7 percent . Median household income: $43,310 (91st lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $52,546 (38th highest) Poverty rate: 22.1 percent (34th highest) Last year, more than 18 percent of El Centro’s population were non-citizens, the third highest percentage nationwide. 2. Dalton, Georgia . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.2 percent . Median household income: $37,659 (17th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $42,293 (149th lowest) Poverty rate: 21.8 percent (38th highest) Dalton is known as the carpet capital of the world and its economy was hammered by the Great Recession. 1. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 11.3 percent . Median household income: $39,058 (26th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $37,452 (41st lowest) Poverty rate: 21.2 percent (52nd highest) An exceptionally high percentage of Lake Havasu’s workforce was employed in the entertainment and accommodations industry, at more than 21 percent last year, more than all but four other metro areas.
Growing numbers of people are going to university in pursuit of better jobs and better pay .
Left behind are the nation's cities with the lowest education levels - 'stuck in a vicious cycle' as they fail to attract higher wages .
Half the top ten are cities in California - but worst of all was Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona .
Bottom three also included Dalton, Georgia, and El Centrol, California .
Despite the rising costs involved in attending university, the pursuit of a degree-level education is becoming increasingly common with each generation. Roughly 41 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 are currently enrolled in a two- or four-year degree-granting institution, compared with 25.5 percent enrolled in 1967, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. There is good reason to pursue a bachelor’s degree as in 2013 the typical American adult with a degree earned more than double someone with only a high school diploma. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona, has topped a list of the least educated cities in the United States . Half of America's least educated cities are in California, although worst of all was Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona . But as people with the best education move to areas with the best paid jobs, left behind are the nation’s cities with the lowest education levels. These metropolitan areas are ‘stuck in a vicious cycle’, according to Pedro Noguera, professor of education at New York University. ‘Low levels of education make it difficult for them to attract businesses that pay higher wages.’ To rank the ten least educated cities in the U.S., 24/7 Wall St. reviewed metrics including cities with the lowest percentage of adults 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, median household income, median earnings and the poverty rate. The results produced a list of cities that have historically been dependent on agriculture and mining and which now find themselves without a foothold in the technology sector and other industries which are running the economy. In second spot was Dalton, Georgia. Known as the carpet capital of the world, its economy was hammered by the Great Recession . The top ten least-educated cities are: . 10. Vineland-Bridgeton, New Jersey . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.7 percent . Median household income: $45,978 (148th lowest) Median earnings - bachelor’s degree: $53,187 (30th highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $23,818 . Poverty rate: 20.6 percent (58th highest), compared to less than 16% nationwide. 9. Merced, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.5 percent . Median household income: $40,687 (54th lowest) Median earnings - bachelor’s degree: $41,719 (116th lowest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $32,000 . Poverty rate: 25.2 percent (13th highest) Less than 68 percent of adults living in Merced had finished high school, compared to 87 per cent nationwide . Nearly 16 percent of the population did not have U.S. citizenship last year - one of the highest percentages nationwide. Non-citizens are less likely to attend college. 8. Visalia-Porterville, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.3 percent . Median household income: $39,422 (29th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $50,569 (73rd highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $20,515 . Poverty rate: 30.1 per cent (4th highest) Nearly 19 percent of the workforce were employed in agricultural sectors, versus just 2 percent nationwide. 7. Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.2 percent . Median household income: $54,070 (96th highest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $46,659 (139th highest) Median earnings - high school diploma: $38,000 . Poverty rate: 13.6 percent (88th lowest) 6. Madera, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.0 percent . Median household income: $39,758 (36th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $49,994 (90th highest) Poverty rate: 23.6 percent (21st highest) Once had a flourishing lumber industry, Madera now has a diversified agricultural industry . Like several other cities with low educational attainment rates, Madera also has a relatively large immigrant population. Last year, an estimated 16.2 percent of the area population were not U.S. citizens, one of the highest percentages nationwide. Hanford-Corcoran, California: More than 17 per cent of Hanford’s workforce is employed in the agriculture, forestry, and mining industries . 5. Hanford-Corcoran, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.9 percent (tied-4th lowest) Median household income: $45,774 (144th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $46,719 (138th highest) Poverty rate: 21.4 percent (47th highest) More than 17 per cent of Hanford’s workforce is employed in the agriculture, forestry, and mining industries. 4. Farmington, New Mexico . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.9 percent (tied-4th lowest) Median household income: $43,787 (103rd lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $40,503 (72nd lowest) Poverty rate: 22.7 percent (27th highest) Wages may be expected to grow in the near future, as the San Juan Basin - located less than two hours from Farmington - is a major source of New Mexico’s budding oil boom. More than one in 10 members of the area’s workforce were employed in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries - which includes the energy sector. 3. El Centro, California . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.7 percent . Median household income: $43,310 (91st lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $52,546 (38th highest) Poverty rate: 22.1 percent (34th highest) Last year, more than 18 percent of El Centro’s population were non-citizens, the third highest percentage nationwide. 2. Dalton, Georgia . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.2 percent . Median household income: $37,659 (17th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $42,293 (149th lowest) Poverty rate: 21.8 percent (38th highest) Dalton is known as the carpet capital of the world and its economy was hammered by the Great Recession. 1. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona . Bachelor’s degree or higher: 11.3 percent . Median household income: $39,058 (26th lowest) Median earnings – bachelor’s degree: $37,452 (41st lowest) Poverty rate: 21.2 percent (52nd highest) An exceptionally high percentage of Lake Havasu’s workforce was employed in the entertainment and accommodations industry, at more than 21 percent last year, more than all but four other metro areas.
university, the pursuit of a degree-level least educated cities in the United States . Half California, although worst of all was Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona . But as people with the jobs, left behind are the nation’s cities with the lowest education levels. These metropolitan areas are ‘stuck in a vicious cycle’, according difficult for them to attract businesses that pay higher wages.’ To rank the ten least educated Dalton, Georgia. Known as the carpet capital of