It’s probably not a surprise that Huntsville is ranked as the smartest city in Alabama but it’s also one of the brightest in the U.S. After all, the nickname “The Rocket City” is well earned and that requires an educated workforce.

But how does Huntsville and the rest of Alabama stack up against the rest of the U.S.? WalletHub recently ranked the most educated cities in the U.S. Here’s what they found:

1. Overall Rank & Total Score

It sits just behind Colorado Springs, CO, Portland, ME and Provo, UT. Huntsville takes the #15 spot in WalletHub’s most educated cities in the country.

The Rocket City scored 72.01 out of 100 as its total score. WalletHub compared 150 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States across 11 key metrics. Some key qualities include the percentage of adults over 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree or higher, the quality of the public school system, and the gender education gap.

2. Educational Attainment

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education that someone has completed. Huntsville ranks #22 in this category, meaning the city has a high rate of completing educational degrees. According to census data, 91.6% of people over 25 years old completed high school or higher and 46.2% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s higher than the national average of 37.9%.

3. Quality of Education & Equity

Huntsville’s highest score is in the “Quality of Education & Attainment Gap” category. This prioritizes the quality of the public school system and the average quality of universities, like the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama A&M and more. There are even satellite campuses in the city, like the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Georgia Tech.

Other qualities include the racial and gender education gaps in Huntsville, plus the city’s Education Equality Index Score.

4. Southern Impact

Huntsville is only one of four Southern cities that cracked the top 20 of the smartest cities list. Others include Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, which houses three major research institutions, and large metropolitan cities, Raleigh, NC and Austin, TX.

Only one other Alabama city made the top 100 smartest cities. Birmingham-Hoover, AL ranked #79. Montgomery came in at #103 and Mobile was #127.

5. Hub for STEM industries

Huntsville isn’t just highly educated, it’s one of the best places in the country to put that education to work, according to a recent study.

According to a report from Coworking Cafe, Huntsville ranked #4 in the nation among mid-sized cities for STEM jobs. The city leads the country with the highest concentration of STEM jobs, with over 23% of local employment tied to science, technology, engineering, or math. It’s also home to the 7th-highest number of STEM establishments per capita and boasts the 8th-lowest unemployment rate among peer metros.

Professionals in this sector can find opportunities at more than 400 science and tech employers, ranging from major defense contractors like BAE Systems to emerging health tech startups like Bragg Peak Systems and Cubic. Institutions like the University of Alabama in Huntsville help feed this talent pipeline, offering a steady stream of engineering and computer science graduates.

And while the science jobs are abundant, the cost of living stays grounded. Huntsville is almost 6% more affordable than the national average, giving residents more spending power. STEM professionals in the area earn an average of over $94,000 annually, just shy of the national STEM wage of $96,000.

6. Why it Matters

WalletHub reports that people with higher levels of education have higher salaries. That can fuel economic growth and tax revenue. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the more that graduates earn, the more taxes they will contribute over time, leading cities to a greater return on educational investment.