Isles above average
with cap and gown
If a college degree is any indication, Hawaii residents are a little smarter than the national average.
According to the Census Bureau American Community Survey estimate, 27.9 percent of Hawaii residents over age 25 have at least a bachelor's degree. The national average is 25.9 percent.
Hawaii ranks 16th in college graduates among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The ranking for 2002 is slightly better than the previous year when Hawaii ranked 17th with an estimated 27.5 percent of residents with college degrees.
The census also estimates that 31.4 percent of metropolitan Honolulu residents --from East Honolulu to Aiea -- have graduated from college. The metro Honolulu area ranks 20th among cities with populations of 250,000 or more.
The island of Oahu is 109th among the 250 counties surveyed with 29.3 percent of the population over 25 having college degrees.
The nation's most educated city was Seattle, where 48.8 percent of residents have at least a bachelor's degree.