The percentage of Portlanders aged 25 to 34 who have a college degree has risen sharply since the turn of the century, jumping from 39 percent to 54 percent.

That's a 38 percentage point increase and a reason to be optimistic about the city's longterm outlook. The figures, released yesterday by the Oregon Employment Department, show that Portland now ranks eighth among the 50 largest U.S. cities in terms of educational attainment.

The bad news—we're still way behind the leaders. The top three are San Francisco (74%), Washington DC (71%), and Seattle (70%).

Here's how Portland's percentage of graduates has changed over time.

Oregon Employment Department
Oregon Employment Department