PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Not Many Millennials Have College Degrees In South Florida, Study Says

State university officials are asking for $45 million in needs-based aid to help make up for cuts to Bright Futures.
Abd allah Foteih
/
Flickr
State university officials are asking for $45 million in needs-based aid to help make up for cuts to Bright Futures.

South Florida made the cut for Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2). It’s one of 20 finalist cities that submitted proposals based on several metrics, including physical site space, transportation options and access to an educated work force.

 

That last factor may put the Miami metro area at a disadvantage, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution, “Where are college-educated millennials living?”

The study considered the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the country. The South Florida region (Fort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach) ranked 62nd, with just above 32 percent of millennials having college degrees.

That ranking makes the Miami bid last on the list of Amazon HQ2 finalists, after Los Angeles at No. 46 and Dallas at No. 47.

The retail giant chose 11 of the 20 “best-educated millennial areas,” according to the report.  Boston ranks No. 1 overall with 58.5 percent of millennials having a college degree. 

The state of Florida overall had some of the lowest percentages for college-educated millennials, whom the report defines as being between 25 and 34 years old. The bottom 10 cities include Cape Coral, Lakeland and North Port-Sarasota.

 

Florida has some of the lowest ranking cities for college-education millennials, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.
Credit The Brookings Institution
Florida has some of the lowest ranking cities for college-education millennials, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.

As of 2015-2016, Florida is home to 12 public universitiesand 28 state colleges. South Florida has four state colleges and two public universities, Florida International University in Miami and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Copyright 2020 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit WLRN 91.3 FM.

Alex Gonzalez