Philly Adding Bachelor’s Degrees at Second-Highest Rate in U.S.
Data courtesy of JLL.
Philadelphia’s population is much more educated than it was just four years ago — but it’s still got plenty of room for improvement compared to other big cities.
Philly added 48,155 people with bachelor’s degrees between 2010 and 2014 — an increase that was second only to San Diego in a study of the 10 largest U.S. cities by JLL, a professional services and investment management company specializing in real estate.
In 2010, 22.6 percent of Philadelphians had a bachelor’s degree, but that number rose to 26 percent by 2014 — an increase of 340 basis points. Only San Diego grew at a higher rate (400 basis points.)
Despite the uptick, Philly still falls well below the 2014 average of 33.6 percent of the population in the 10 largest cities holding bachelor’s degrees. Only San Antonio at 25 percent has a lower rate.
“With February 2016 unemployment at 4.9 percent and unemployment for individuals holding a bachelor’s degree or more hovering at 2.5 percent, slack in the U.S. labor market is at an all time low,” said JLL in releasing the research. “Employers looking to attract and retain the best and brightest are increasingly differentiating themselves from their competition based on their real estate, including location and amenities.”
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