New Orleans is 14th most educated city in U.S., Forbes says

New Orleans can count itself among the most educated cities in the U.S., according to Forbes Advisor.

Driving the news: New Orleans ranked 14 in the list of 100 cities, falling just under Boston, which is home to prestigious schools such as Harvard and MIT.

Why it matters: People with higher levels of education tend to earn more money, Forbes says.

How it works: The rankings counted degrees but also factored in dropout rates, racial disparities and gender gaps.

By the numbers: 41.5% of New Orleans' residents 25 years and older have a bachelor's degree, Forbes said. Nearly 19% have a graduate degree.

State of play: New Orleans is home to several four-year schools, including the University of New Orleans, Xavier, Dillard, Southern, Holy Cross, Tulane and Loyola.

Yes, but: Our high school dropout rate isn't great at 9.93%.

• New Orleans also has a significant education racial gap of 27.02%, Forbes said. That's the disparity when comparing degree completion rates among white students versus all students.

Meanwhile, Baton Rouge ranked No. 45, where about 35% of residents have bachelor's degrees, and its high school dropout rate is 11.41%.

Zoom out: Arlington, Virginia, was Forbes' smartest city with 76% of adults having a bachelor's degree.

• Atlanta was second, followed by Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

Go deeper: See the full list of 100 cities.