Schools

UWS Ranks Near Top Of Residents With A Bachelor's Degree: Study

A recent study found the college attainment rate for neighborhoods across NYC. See how the Upper West Side compared.

achievement, alum, and, bachelor's, background, bay, beauty, black, blue, board, cap, celebration, ceremony, college, copy, cut, degree, dip
achievement, alum, and, bachelor's, background, bay, beauty, black, blue, board, cap, celebration, ceremony, college, copy, cut, degree, dip (Shutterstock)

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The Upper West Side is home to one of the highest rates of college-educated residents of any neighborhood in New York City, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the Center for an Urban Future went through Census data on college attainment rates across the five boroughs for working-age adults.

The research found "glaring and persistent educational attainment gaps by race, ethnicity, and geography."

Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Upper West Side was nearly at the top of NYC neighborhoods with the highest rate of college-educated working adults, which the study classifies as 25 to 64.

Here's the information for the neighborhood.

Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 80.3 percent
  • No College: 9.4 percent
  • Some College, No Degree: 7.6 percent
  • Associates Degree: 2.7 percent

The Upper West Side had the fourth-highest rate of residents with bachelor's degrees in Manhattan.

While some neighborhoods in the borough, such as the Upper East Side and Greenwich Village had a higher rate of adults with a degree — the UWS had a significantly higher rate than most other NYC areas.

For comparison, eight neighborhoods in the Bronx and Brooklyn have fewer than 18 percent of residents with a bachelor's degree.

The Upper West Side is also overwhelmingly white at 68.9 percent, followed by 13.2 percent Hispanic, 11.2 percent Asian, and 4.7 percent Black.

Across the city, 64 percent of white New Yorkers have a bachelor's degree, 45.1 percent of Asian residents, 26.6 percent of Black residents, and 19.5 percent of Hispanic residents.

"While New York City is home to an almost unparalleled concentration of highly educated people, this report finds glaring and persistent educational attainment gaps by race, ethnicity, and geography," authors of the "Building An Inclusive Economy In NYC: Boosting College Attainment" study wrote. "For New York to succeed in rebuilding a more equitable economy, city and state policymakers—working with employers and philanthropy—will need to prioritize closing gaps in college attainment and helping far more New Yorkers get on the path to a credential."

In Manhattan, 65 percent of working-age residents have at least a bachelor's degree, which is the highest of any borough by far.

You can check out the full study here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here