America's Smartest Cities - 2008

So which cities are America's Brightest Bulbs? Check out this Google Maps Mashup of Forbes List of America's Smartest Cities. How did Forbes come up with this list? (all are college towns)

To determine their rankings, FORBES used Sperling's BestPlaces and compared the percentages of people ages 25 and up with at least a bachelor's degree.

Professors that live in a school's surrounding area contribute to the increased percentage of informed inhabitants for these cities. Bert Sperling, founder of BestPlaces, explains that these faculty members, in conjunction with ex-students, are the main forces driving up the percentages.