Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024

Piedmont, CA had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 376 cities in 2024, at 88.4%. Avenal, CA had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 32.9% and the figure for California was 37.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest88.4Piedmont, CA

Lowest2.8Avenal, CA

Median32.9376 cities

California37.1History

Top 40 cities, 2024

%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2024 (%)	Change on 2023
1	Piedmont, CA	88.4	+1.6 pts
2	Los Altos, CA	88.1	+0.9 pts
3	Orinda, CA	85.9	+0.5 pts
4	Hillsborough, CA	83.8	+1 pts
5	San Marino, CA	82.6	+2.4 pts
6	Palo Alto, CA	82.3	-0.1 pts
7	Cupertino, CA	82.3	-0.8 pts
8	Moraga, CA	81.8	+0.8 pts
9	Saratoga, CA	81.1	-0 pts
10	Palos Verdes Estates, CA	79.6	+1.1 pts
11	Lafayette, CA	79	+2 pts
12	Manhattan Beach, CA	78.9	-0.1 pts
13	Albany, CA	77.8	+1.4 pts
14	Davis, CA	76.8	+1.7 pts
15	Hermosa Beach, CA	76	-0.5 pts
16	Mill Valley, CA	75.8	-1.3 pts
17	La Cañada Flintridge, CA	75.1	-0.4 pts
18	Los Gatos, CA	75	+0.1 pts
19	Mountain View, CA	75	+0.7 pts
20	Berkeley, CA	74.9	-0.2 pts
21	Danville, CA	73.9	+1.4 pts
22	Foster City, CA	73.8	-0.3 pts
23	South Pasadena, CA	73.5	+0.8 pts
24	Calabasas, CA	73.3	+2 pts
25	Menlo Park, CA	72.5	-0.2 pts
26	Solana Beach, CA	72.3	+0.5 pts
27	San Ramon, CA	71.6	+0.4 pts
28	Santa Monica, CA	70.7	+1.8 pts
29	Irvine, CA	70.6	0 pts
30	San Anselmo, CA	70.6	-0.3 pts
31	Emeryville, CA	70.5	-4.3 pts
32	Rancho Palos Verdes, CA	70.5	+1.4 pts
33	Walnut Creek, CA	70.4	+1 pts
34	San Carlos, CA	70.2	+2.2 pts
35	Beverly Hills, CA	69.9	+0.5 pts
36	Pleasanton, CA	69.9	+1.2 pts
37	Dublin, CA	69.8	+0.2 pts
38	Belmont, CA	69.7	+0.7 pts
39	Newport Beach, CA	69.6	-0 pts
40	Sunnyvale, CA	69.4	+0.2 pts
41	Laguna Beach, CA	69.3	+2.2 pts
42	Larkspur, CA	67.9	-1.5 pts
43	Encinitas, CA	67.7	+0.6 pts
44	El Cerrito, CA	67.6	+1.3 pts
45	Agoura Hills, CA	67.5	+1 pts
46	Redondo Beach, CA	67	+0.6 pts
47	Santa Clara, CA	65.9	+0.7 pts
48	Coronado, CA	65.5	-0.7 pts
49	West Hollywood, CA	64.2	+1.3 pts
50	Burlingame, CA	64.2	0 pts
51	Sierra Madre, CA	64	-1.4 pts
52	Fremont, CA	63.9	+1.2 pts
53	El Segundo, CA	62.7	+0.2 pts
54	Culver City, CA	62.4	-2.5 pts
55	Carlsbad, CA	62.1	+0.6 pts
56	Alameda, CA	61.6	+1.2 pts
57	Truckee, CA	60.8	+1.6 pts
58	San Francisco, CA	60.3	+0.2 pts
59	Campbell, CA	60.2	+0.7 pts
60	Claremont, CA	59.9	+0.7 pts
61	Laguna Niguel, CA	59.8	+0.6 pts
62	Pacific Grove, CA	59.6	+1.2 pts
63	Clayton, CA	59.1	+0.3 pts
64	Milpitas, CA	58.2	-0.4 pts
65	Cerritos, CA	58	+0.9 pts
66	San Mateo, CA	57.8	+0.3 pts
67	Santa Cruz, CA	57.6	-0.1 pts
68	Aliso Viejo, CA	57.6	+0.5 pts
69	Arcadia, CA	57.4	-0.4 pts
70	Walnut, CA	57.3	+2 pts
71	Dana Point, CA	56.6	-0.5 pts
72	Yorba Linda, CA	56.2	0 pts
73	Pasadena, CA	56.1	0 pts
74	Scotts Valley, CA	55.6	+1.2 pts
75	Folsom, CA	54.9	+0.2 pts
76	Laguna Hills, CA	54.7	+1.8 pts
77	Pleasant Hill, CA	54.6	-0.9 pts
78	Redwood City, CA	54.4	0 pts
79	San Luis Obispo, CA	54.4	-0.1 pts
80	Poway, CA	54.2	+0.8 pts
81	Mountain House, CA	54.1	+3.2 pts
82	Torrance, CA	54	+1 pts
83	San Clemente, CA	53.8	+2.1 pts
84	La Palma, CA	52.9	+4 pts
84	Monterey, CA	52.9	-1.5 pts
86	Diamond Bar, CA	52.8	+0.2 pts
87	Millbrae, CA	52.7	+2.2 pts
88	Half Moon Bay, CA	52.4	-0.8 pts
89	Livermore, CA	52.3	+1.8 pts
90	Brea, CA	52.2	+2 pts
91	Mission Viejo, CA	52.1	+1 pts
92	Santa Barbara, CA	51.9	+1.7 pts
93	Loma Linda, CA	51.8	-0.1 pts
94	Thousand Oaks, CA	51.4	+0.5 pts
95	Seal Beach, CA	51.4	+0.3 pts
96	Sonoma, CA	51.2	+3.5 pts
97	San Diego, CA	51	+1.1 pts
98	Laguna Woods, CA	51	-0.9 pts
99	Lake Forest, CA	50.8	+0.8 pts
100	Cypress, CA	50.7	+1.6 pts
101	San Rafael, CA	49.7	+0.3 pts
102	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	49.7	+0.9 pts
103	Goleta, CA	49.4	+1.1 pts
104	Huntington Beach, CA	49	+1.8 pts
105	Pacifica, CA	48.9	+0.4 pts
106	Novato, CA	48.9	+1.4 pts
107	Oakland, CA	48.8	+0.9 pts
108	Rancho Mirage, CA	48.6	+2.1 pts
109	Morro Bay, CA	48.5	+2.1 pts
110	Chino Hills, CA	48.1	-0.3 pts
111	Newark, CA	48.1	+0.9 pts
112	Rocklin, CA	48	-0.5 pts
113	Benicia, CA	47.6	+2.1 pts
114	Tustin, CA	47.4	+1.4 pts
115	San Jose, CA	47.3	+0.8 pts
116	Glendale, CA	47.2	+1.7 pts
117	Burbank, CA	47.1	+1.1 pts
118	Morgan Hill, CA	46.8	+2.8 pts
119	Martinez, CA	46.7	+1.2 pts
120	Fountain Valley, CA	46.4	+1.6 pts
121	Arcata, CA	46.3	+1.3 pts
122	Hercules, CA	46.1	-0.2 pts
123	Arroyo Grande, CA	45.3	+0.7 pts
123	San Bruno, CA	45.3	+1.5 pts
125	Union City, CA	45.1	-0.2 pts
126	Costa Mesa, CA	45	+1.4 pts
127	Moorpark, CA	44.6	-0.3 pts
128	Palm Springs, CA	44.5	-0.6 pts
129	Los Alamitos, CA	44.3	+0.8 pts
130	Roseville, CA	44.3	+0.2 pts
131	Placentia, CA	44.2	+0.5 pts
132	Carpinteria, CA	44	-0.6 pts
133	San Marcos, CA	43.8	+1.1 pts
134	Petaluma, CA	43.8	+0.9 pts
135	Camarillo, CA	43.6	+0.1 pts
136	Fullerton, CA	43.5	-0.2 pts
137	San Juan Capistrano, CA	43.4	+1.1 pts
138	Eastvale, CA	43.4	+1.1 pts
139	Temple City, CA	42.7	+0.2 pts
140	Monrovia, CA	42.7	-1.1 pts
141	Chico, CA	42.2	+0.9 pts
142	La Verne, CA	42.1	+0.7 pts
143	Redlands, CA	41.5	-2.1 pts
144	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA	41.5	+0.4 pts
145	La Mirada, CA	40.9	+1.2 pts
146	Alhambra, CA	40.8	+1.6 pts
147	South San Francisco, CA	40.8	+0.7 pts
148	Palm Desert, CA	40.7	+0.8 pts
149	Healdsburg, CA	40.7	+1.1 pts
150	Auburn, CA	40.6	+2.4 pts
151	La Mesa, CA	40.6	+2.2 pts
152	San Dimas, CA	40.4	+0.1 pts
153	Lincoln, CA	40.1	+1.7 pts
154	La Quinta, CA	40	+1.1 pts
155	Santa Clarita, CA	39.8	+0.5 pts
156	Orange, CA	39.7	-0.4 pts
157	Brentwood, CA	39.3	+0.6 pts
158	Simi Valley, CA	39.1	+1.6 pts
159	Daly City, CA	38.9	+0.9 pts
160	Elk Grove, CA	38.9	+0.8 pts
161	Glendora, CA	38.8	-0.5 pts
162	Temecula, CA	38.8	-0.5 pts
163	Pinole, CA	38.6	-0.1 pts
164	Los Angeles, CA	38.5	+0.6 pts
165	Napa, CA	38.2	+1.5 pts
166	Marina, CA	37.9	+1.8 pts
167	Concord, CA	37.5	-0.3 pts
167	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	37.5	+0.2 pts
169	Upland, CA	37.3	+1.6 pts
170	Signal Hill, CA	37.2	-0.8 pts
171	Sacramento, CA	37.1	+0.6 pts
172	Clovis, CA	36.6	-0.1 pts
173	Windsor, CA	36.3	+1.9 pts
174	Monterey Park, CA	36.2	+1.3 pts
175	Oceanside, CA	36.2	+1.9 pts
176	Lomita, CA	36	-2.1 pts
177	South Lake Tahoe, CA	35.9	+1.9 pts
178	Long Beach, CA	35.6	+0.8 pts
179	San Gabriel, CA	35.6	+0.9 pts
180	Santa Rosa, CA	35.1	+0.3 pts
181	Santee, CA	35	+2.1 pts
182	West Sacramento, CA	34.5	+0.7 pts
183	Hayward, CA	34	+1.4 pts
184	Duarte, CA	33.9	+0.8 pts
185	San Leandro, CA	33.3	-0.4 pts
186	Chula Vista, CA	33.2	+0.9 pts
187	Buena Park, CA	33	+1 pts
188	Richmond, CA	33	+0.5 pts
189	Grass Valley, CA	32.8	+0.8 pts
190	American Canyon, CA	32.7	0 pts
191	Lakewood, CA	32.7	0 pts
192	Murrieta, CA	32.6	+0.8 pts
193	Corona, CA	32.4	+1.5 pts
194	Artesia, CA	32.4	+0.6 pts
195	La Habra, CA	32.3	+2.6 pts
196	Rancho Cordova, CA	32.1	+1 pts
197	Paradise, CA	31.9	+1 pts
198	Atascadero, CA	31.6	+1.4 pts
199	Rio Vista, CA	31.5	-3.9 pts
200	Ridgecrest, CA	30.9	-0.8 pts
201	Canyon Lake, CA	30.7	+1.2 pts
202	Rohnert Park, CA	30.5	+0.4 pts
203	Woodland, CA	30.4	+0.1 pts
204	West Covina, CA	30.1	+0.3 pts
205	Anaheim, CA	29.7	+1 pts
206	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA	29.7	+0.6 pts
207	Calimesa, CA	29.6	-0.8 pts
208	Seaside, CA	29.6	+2.1 pts
209	Whittier, CA	29.5	+0.3 pts
210	Ripon, CA	29.4	+3.1 pts
211	Carson, CA	29.3	+0.2 pts
212	Gilroy, CA	29.3	+0.7 pts
213	Vista, CA	29.3	+2.1 pts
214	Eureka, CA	29	-2.2 pts
215	Gardena, CA	28.9	+1 pts
216	Escondido, CA	28.9	+1.1 pts
217	Vallejo, CA	28.8	+0.9 pts
218	Grover Beach, CA	28.7	+1.8 pts
219	Tracy, CA	28.5	+2.4 pts
220	Grand Terrace, CA	28.4	-0.1 pts
221	Lathrop, CA	28	+4.2 pts
222	Vacaville, CA	28	+0.3 pts
223	Beaumont, CA	27.4	-0.4 pts
224	Covina, CA	27.3	-0.1 pts
225	Azusa, CA	27.3	+0.4 pts
226	Chino, CA	27.2	-1.2 pts
227	Redding, CA	27	+0.8 pts
228	Yucaipa, CA	26.9	+0.7 pts
229	East Palo Alto, CA	26.9	+1.1 pts
230	Imperial Beach, CA	26.7	+3 pts
231	Fairfield, CA	26.6	-0.1 pts
232	Turlock, CA	26.5	-0.1 pts
233	Twentynine Palms, CA	26.2	+1.5 pts
234	Downey, CA	26.1	+0.5 pts
235	Hawthorne, CA	26	+1.1 pts
236	Westminster, CA	25.9	-0.6 pts
237	Riverside, CA	25.7	0 pts
238	Fresno, CA	25.5	+0.6 pts
239	Garden Grove, CA	25.3	+0.4 pts
240	Inglewood, CA	25.2	+1 pts
241	Port Hueneme, CA	25.1	+2.4 pts
242	Fortuna, CA	24.8	+2 pts
243	Lodi, CA	24.6	+1.4 pts
244	Cathedral City, CA	24.5	-1.3 pts
245	Oakley, CA	24.3	+1.2 pts
246	Lake Elsinore, CA	24.3	+1.2 pts
247	Visalia, CA	24.1	+1.2 pts
248	Citrus Heights, CA	23.9	+1.7 pts
249	Antioch, CA	23.9	-0 pts
250	Dixon, CA	23.8	-0.4 pts

Showing the top 250 of 376. The Excel download has every row.

Other periods

2024
2023
2022
2021

About this ranking

People aged 25 and over whose highest degree is a bachelor's, master's, professional school or doctorate degree, as a percentage of all people aged 25 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Excludes associate degrees and college without a degree. Not comparable with EU tertiary attainment, which includes short-cycle tertiary education and usually covers ages 25 to 64.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Embed code

<iframe src="https://invokely.ai/embed/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities" width="760" height="500" title="Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor&#39;s degree, 2024, chart from Invokely" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in California by share of adults with a bachelor's degree using official data, and cite the source.

rank_places {"indicator":"bachelors_degree_share","level":"municipality","within":"California","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=bachelors_degree_share&level=municipality&within=California&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which city has the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree?

Piedmont, CA, with 88.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest share of adults with a bachelor's degree?

Avenal, CA, with 2.8% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.