For states and metropolitan areas across the country, cultivating a skilled and educated workforce is a critical part of economic development. In 2017, metropolitan areas anchored by major research universities – regions like Boulder, Ann Arbor, and Corvallis – had the highest share of adults 25+ with at least a bachelor’s degree, according to an SSTI analysis of recent census data. In a ten-year comparison of major metro areas, the share of population with at least a bachelor’s degree increased the most in Asheville (growing 6.9 percentage points to 34.1 percent), Pittsburgh (growing 6.3 percentage points to 33.5 percent), and Denver (growing 6.1 percentage points to 42.1 percent).