
Nashville tops the list for Tennessee metros when it comes to STEM
The good news is that the state's big cities all cracked the top 100.
The latest report from WalletHub, the personal financial website, takes a look at metro areas in terms of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. In the case of the Volunteer State, we’ll just say it is a mixed bag at best.
The state’s four large cities all placed in the top 100 metros with the highest ranked city being Nashville which came in at #45. Not that far behind was Knoxville at #55, followed by Chattanooga (#88) and Memphis (#98). Nashville scored its highest ranks in two categories – Professional Opportunities (#28) and STEM Friendliness (#24).
What’s the best metro? It’s Austin, TX, in part because STEM jobs make up over 11.5 percent of all employment, one of the highest rates in the nation. The city also had the fifth-largest increase in STEM employment between 2021 and 2023, and it currently has the 10th-most job openings for STEM graduates per capita.
The Boston metro area ranks second for STEM professionals in part because it prioritizes STEM advancement. R&D expenditures make up over eight percent of its Gross Domestic Product, the second-highest percentage in the country. On top of that, Boston has the second-most invention patents per capita.
The full report can be found here.
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