Zhuangyuan, China

79,106 people may live in Zhuangyuan, but the title of 'principal graduate' means little in the real world. The bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the last 'trạng nguyên' - the Vietnamese equivalent - awarded over 300 years ago. And while Zhuangyuan has produced some impressive scholars, the odds of becoming the next Lý Tải Đạo or Nguyễn Thị Duệ are vanishingly small. Unless you're a Confucian scholar with a penchant for long-shot exams, this city is best avoided.