New York City is making a long-term economic bet on education — specifically the applied sciences. Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to build an elite applied sciences school in the city to increase its competitiveness in these areas, an idea the local EDC and business groups support and existing universities don’t care for as much.
Most cities and regions can measure their educational and vocational capital (especially if they work with EMSI), but this is a rare instance in which an EDC could talk about an ongoing commitment to adding specific kinds of educational capital to a region.
And judging by recent education data, NYC could use a boost in these areas.
We looked at 2009 completions from IPEDS tied to two O*NET occupation groups — computer & mathematical science and architecture & engineering — for the 100 most populous metro areas in the nation. The occupation groups comprise 58 professions, from computer scientists to civil engineers and web administrators (see the full list of occupations with descriptions here).
Next we pulled completers across all occupations for the top 100 MSAs and calculated the percentage and relative concentration (location quotient, or LQ) that computer & math science/architecture & engineering completers make up of these metros’ completion totals. An LQ of 1.0 indicates a city accounts for an average percentage, so a city with an LQ of 1.50 would be 50% more concentrated, per capita, than the nation.
Looking at the table below the New York metro area ranks 81st in the percentage of math and engineering-related graduates (but first in total completers in these fields). Baltimore is No. 1 on the list with nearly 11% of its completers coming in math and engineering-related fields. Boston, which was mentioned in the NYT story as a higher ed hub, ranks No. 9.
MSA CodeMath/Engineering-Related Completions2009 All CompletionsPercentLQBaltimore-Towson, MD (12580)3,61233,39010.8%1.23San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860)3,64235,17810.4%1.17San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA (41740)3,69035,92710.3%1.16Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660)3,69236,37310.2%1.15Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (36740)3,15331,6899.9%1.13Madison, WI (31540)1,54815,8959.7%1.10Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (47900)7,79580,2829.7%1.10Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN (17140)2,00720,6869.7%1.10Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH (14460)7,89481,6919.7%1.10Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140)1,52715,8209.7%1.09St. Louis, MO-IL (41180)2,87829,8919.6%1.09Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA (39300)1,96020,3859.6%1.09Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900)1,51115,7899.6%1.08Baton Rouge, LA (12940)1,28113,4409.5%1.08Pittsburgh, PA (38300)4,90451,6419.5%1.08Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA (12060)6,46568,1299.5%1.08Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (31140)1,23413,0059.5%1.08Kansas City, MO-KS (28140)1,75118,4569.5%1.08Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (45300)1,91420,1829.5%1.07Dayton, OH (19380)1,73918,3399.5%1.07Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (12420)2,94931,2599.4%1.07New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA (35380)8789,3139.4%1.07El Paso, TX (21340)8689,2079.4%1.07Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (10580)2,02221,5079.4%1.07San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940)3,69939,4819.4%1.06Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA (36540)96310,2899.4%1.06Colorado Springs, CO (17820)1,64717,6469.3%1.06Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI (33340)1,67617,9619.3%1.06Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (25540)1,43915,4509.3%1.06Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (47260)2,29924,7759.3%1.05Akron, OH (10420)1,23413,2999.3%1.05Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH (17460)1,76519,0279.3%1.05Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980)1,18612,9419.2%1.04Indianapolis-Carmel, IN (26900)1,10312,0379.2%1.04Salt Lake City, UT (41620)1,79019,5439.2%1.04San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (41700)1,37314,9939.2%1.04Worcester, MA (49340)1,09311,9949.1%1.03Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC (16740)1,39715,3449.1%1.03Syracuse, NY (45060)1,28914,1639.1%1.03Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (33460)3,72140,9279.1%1.03Richmond, VA (40060)91210,0429.1%1.03Tulsa, OK (46140)1,08011,9179.1%1.03Honolulu, HI (26180)8929,8549.1%1.03Toledo, OH (45780)1,03911,5259.0%1.02Springfield, MA (44140)1,06411,8129.0%1.02Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (10900)92510,2699.0%1.02Columbus, OH (18140)2,68429,8399.0%1.02Oklahoma City, OK (36420)1,79820,0169.0%1.02Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (15380)1,56917,5598.9%1.01Tucson, AZ (46060)1,29614,5098.9%1.01Knoxville, TN (28940)1,00711,2918.9%1.01Provo-Orem, UT (39340)1,04711,7688.9%1.01Albuquerque, NM (10740)1,01511,5028.8%1.00Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC (24860)1,29614,7008.8%1.00Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ (38060)9,654109,5118.8%1.00Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980)5,90967,2968.8%1.00Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO (19740)2,47328,2378.8%0.99Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA (25420)6507,4548.7%0.99Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (14860)1,11912,8458.7%0.99Rochester, NY (40380)2,14324,6148.7%0.99Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (19100)4,45751,2358.7%0.99Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA (40900)2,03923,4898.7%0.98New Haven-Milford, CT (35300)7959,1958.6%0.98Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX (26420)3,91045,2658.6%0.98Raleigh-Cary, NC (39580)2,40627,9218.6%0.98Birmingham-Hoover, AL (13820)6677,7428.6%0.98Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (33100)4,18749,0608.5%0.97Columbia, SC (17900)6988,2878.4%0.95Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL (37340)7118,4808.4%0.95Greensboro-High Point, NC (24660)7128,5388.3%0.95Jacksonville, FL (27260)7629,1828.3%0.94Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA (49660)6117,3778.3%0.94Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI (19820)4,03348,6948.3%0.94Memphis, TN-MS-AR (32820)7348,8698.3%0.94Wichita, KS (48620)6808,2248.3%0.94Las Vegas-Paradise, NV (29820)7158,6898.2%0.93Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (16980)10,596128,9128.2%0.93Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA (31100)12,661161,6797.8%0.89Stockton, CA (44700)3995,0997.8%0.89New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA (35620)16,324211,0667.7%0.88Fresno, CA (23420)5557,1897.7%0.87Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI (24340)5196,8757.5%0.86Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY (39100)4956,7727.3%0.83McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580)4125,8387.1%0.80Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR (30780)4726,7547.0%0.79Boise City-Nampa, ID (14260)4466,4296.9%0.79Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC (16700)3014,3606.9%0.78Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540)4316,3036.8%0.77Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540)3124,6106.8%0.77Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA (37100)2744,0656.7%0.76Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780)3435,0986.7%0.76Lancaster, PA (29540)2704,0496.7%0.76Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (12260)2754,1376.6%0.75Ogden-Clearfield, UT (36260)3164,9896.3%0.72Jackson, MS (27140)2273,9335.8%0.65Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL (15980)1973,7565.2%0.59Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860)1693,7444.5%0.51Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (29460)1223,1153.9%0.44Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME (38860)1855,0433.7%0.42Modesto, CA (33700)1293,5783.6%0.41NATIONAL TOTAL324,0703,672,7208.8%
If you want help measuring educational and vocational capital in your region, give us a call.
