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

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.