Talent in a Class of Its Own

Unmatched, unsurpassed, and unparalleled describe the talent pool in Raleigh. One of, if not the most remarkable aspects of the Raleigh community is the highly educated population that calls this city home. Around 53.9%* of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher (within the city limits).

Attracting and retaining some of the best and brightest comes easy for a place like Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks to many colleges and universities and three tier-1 research institutions, North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, our residents are surrounded by top-notch higher education. Not only are there options for higher education, but there are over 163,000 students enrolled across the Triangle region. That’s a lot of available talent!

#2 Top Millennial Magnet Metro

Raleigh-Durham, NC, Business Facilities, 2021

#3 Best State for Higher Education

North Carolina, SmartAsset, 2022

#5 Top City for Gen Z in America

Raleigh, NC, Commercial Café, 2022

Metro Populations with Bachelor's Degree or Higher (Over Age 25)

  • 60%
    50%
    40%
    30%
    20%
    10%
    0%
  • 55.0
    San Jose, CA
  • 51.8
    San Francisco, CA
  • 51.0
    Boston, MA
  • 50.7
    Raleigh, NC
  • 50.0
    Austin, TX
  • 47.8
    Denver, CO
  • 46.8
    Seattle, WA
  • 42.2
    Atlanta, GA
  • 40.2
    Nashville, TN
  • 39.3
    Charlotte, NC
  • 38.3
    Dallas, TX

The region’s three tier-one universities make major contributions to the technology industry through education, research and commercialization.

Research Triangle, NC

Work in the Triangle 

There are endless resources for job seekers, newcomers, and current Raleighites. 

The Work in the Triangle website is an excellent place to start when it comes to learning about the job market in the region, calculating the cost of living in Raleigh, and getting a pulse on living here. 

Visit Work in the Triangle to learn more.

Workforce Support

Our longstanding relationships with staffing agencies, workforce development agencies, upskill/reskill organizations, K-12 education institutions, and higher education institutions build a work-ready community. 

Where We Rank 

#1 Top Metro with Highest Percent of Graduate or Professional Degree Holders

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, WalletHub, 2022

#3 Top Most Concentrated U.S. Markets for Software Engineers Employed in the Tech Industry (2020)

CBRE Research, 2022

#4 Top Metro with Highest Percent of Associate’s Degree Holders

Raleigh-Cary, NC, WalletHub, 2022

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2021 1-year estimates

*Header Photo Source: Garrett Poulos/Visit Raleigh