The Research Triangle ranks among the most educated regions in the country

• Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workers with bachelor's degrees earn nearly 68% more than those with only a high school diploma.
• The most educated cities, Forbes says, produce more innovation and tax revenue, which attracts companies and ultimately leads to higher concentrations of educated residents.

Details: Forbes analyzed high school dropout and college graduation rates, undergraduate and advanced degree attainment rates, and the racial and gender inequities in degree completion rates to rank the nation's 100 most educated cities.

By the numbers: Nearly 54% of residents in the Raleigh metro area — home to N.C. State University — hold a bachelor's degree, and more than 21% have a graduate degree.

• In the Durham metro area — home to Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill — more than 56% of residents have a bachelor's and nearly 27% have a graduate degree.

Yes, but: There is a racial gap between the education levels in the Triangle, with white residents in both cities having a much larger share of college degrees compared to other races.

• This has long been an issue local leaders have tried to chip away at, especially as the Triangle's economy has become more tech focused.

• Earlier this year, a group of Triangle CEOs, including SAS' Jim Goodnight, stressed the need to improve funding for education so more students are prepared for college.

Between the lines: When promoting the Triangle to expanding companies, like Apple, economic developers lean heavily on the region's education attainment, pointing to the thousands of students graduating every year from the area's universities.

Of note: Arlington, Virginia, ranked on top as the nation's most educated city.

• Rounding out the top five were: Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; and Madison, Wisconsin.