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

Los Altos, CA had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 376 cities in 2022, at 86.4%. Mendota, CA had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 31.7% and the figure for California was 35.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest86.4Los Altos, CA

Lowest3.6Mendota, CA

Median31.7376 cities

California35.9History

Top 40 cities, 2022

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2022 (%)	Change on 2021
1	Los Altos, CA	86.4	+0.5 pts
2	Orinda, CA	86.3	-0.7 pts
3	Piedmont, CA	84.8	-0.8 pts
4	Cupertino, CA	82.8	+1.9 pts
5	Hillsborough, CA	82.6	-0.5 pts
6	Palo Alto, CA	82.2	-0.4 pts
7	San Marino, CA	80.1	-0.7 pts
8	Saratoga, CA	79.9	-0.6 pts
9	Moraga, CA	79.9	+2.7 pts
10	Palos Verdes Estates, CA	79.9	-1.6 pts
11	Hermosa Beach, CA	78.3	+0.5 pts
12	Manhattan Beach, CA	78.2	+0.3 pts
13	Mill Valley, CA	75.9	+0.5 pts
14	Lafayette, CA	75.2	+1.1 pts
15	Davis, CA	75.2	-1.9 pts
16	Albany, CA	75.2	+1.9 pts
17	Los Gatos, CA	74.8	+1.4 pts
18	Mountain View, CA	74	+1.9 pts
19	La Cañada Flintridge, CA	73.8	+0.2 pts
20	Berkeley, CA	73.8	+0.3 pts
21	Danville, CA	72.7	+2.3 pts
22	Emeryville, CA	72.6	+0.8 pts
23	Foster City, CA	72.5	+2.4 pts
24	Menlo Park, CA	72.5	-0.1 pts
25	South Pasadena, CA	71.8	+0.8 pts
26	Larkspur, CA	71.5	+0.1 pts
27	San Ramon, CA	70.5	+0.2 pts
28	Solana Beach, CA	70.5	+1.2 pts
29	San Anselmo, CA	70.2	-2.1 pts
30	Calabasas, CA	70.1	+3.9 pts
31	Irvine, CA	70	+1.4 pts
32	Walnut Creek, CA	69.5	-0.5 pts
33	Rancho Palos Verdes, CA	68.9	+0.5 pts
34	Dublin, CA	68.9	+1.3 pts
35	Belmont, CA	68.5	-0.7 pts
36	Pleasanton, CA	68.1	+1.9 pts
37	Newport Beach, CA	68.1	+0.3 pts
38	Sunnyvale, CA	68	+1.2 pts
39	Santa Monica, CA	67.8	-0.1 pts
40	Agoura Hills, CA	67	+1.7 pts
41	San Carlos, CA	66.9	-0.8 pts
42	El Cerrito, CA	65.6	+0.2 pts
43	Beverly Hills, CA	65.5	+1.3 pts
44	Laguna Beach, CA	65	-2.6 pts
45	Redondo Beach, CA	65	+0.3 pts
46	Encinitas, CA	64.7	+1.1 pts
46	Sierra Madre, CA	64.7	+1.3 pts
48	Santa Clara, CA	64.6	+1.4 pts
49	Coronado, CA	64.4	+0.3 pts
50	Burlingame, CA	64.3	-0.8 pts
51	Culver City, CA	62.8	+0.4 pts
52	Fremont, CA	62	+1.8 pts
53	West Hollywood, CA	61.5	+0.5 pts
54	El Segundo, CA	61.3	+4.7 pts
55	Alameda, CA	59.8	+0.5 pts
56	San Francisco, CA	59.8	+0.3 pts
57	Campbell, CA	59.6	+2.7 pts
58	Carlsbad, CA	59.5	0 pts
59	San Mateo, CA	58.2	0 pts
60	Truckee, CA	57.8	-0.7 pts
61	Claremont, CA	57.6	-0.1 pts
62	Clayton, CA	57.2	-0.6 pts
63	Pacific Grove, CA	57.2	+1.8 pts
64	Santa Cruz, CA	57.1	+0.5 pts
65	Laguna Niguel, CA	56.6	+0.7 pts
66	Aliso Viejo, CA	56.5	+0.2 pts
67	Milpitas, CA	56.2	+2.6 pts
68	Pleasant Hill, CA	56	0 pts
69	Walnut, CA	55.6	-0.2 pts
70	Cerritos, CA	55.2	+1.3 pts
71	Yorba Linda, CA	55.2	+1.6 pts
72	Dana Point, CA	55.2	+1.9 pts
73	Arcadia, CA	54.9	-0.6 pts
74	Half Moon Bay, CA	54.6	+4.2 pts
75	Pasadena, CA	54.5	+1.1 pts
76	Monterey, CA	54	-0.1 pts
77	Folsom, CA	53.9	+2.1 pts
78	Scotts Valley, CA	53.7	+1.4 pts
79	Poway, CA	53.5	+1 pts
80	Redwood City, CA	53.1	+0.6 pts
81	San Luis Obispo, CA	52.8	+1.2 pts
82	Torrance, CA	52.7	+0.4 pts
83	Laguna Hills, CA	52.7	+1.8 pts
84	Diamond Bar, CA	51.9	-1.9 pts
85	Seal Beach, CA	51.4	+1.2 pts
86	Mission Viejo, CA	51.2	+0.3 pts
87	Laguna Woods, CA	50.7	-0.9 pts
88	Santa Barbara, CA	50.6	+0.1 pts
89	La Palma, CA	50.3	+2.9 pts
90	San Clemente, CA	50	-1.1 pts
91	Goleta, CA	50	+2 pts
92	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	50	+0.5 pts
93	Chino Hills, CA	49.9	-0.1 pts
94	Millbrae, CA	49.7	-1.5 pts
95	San Rafael, CA	49.6	-0.8 pts
95	Thousand Oaks, CA	49.6	+0.4 pts
97	Loma Linda, CA	49.4	-1.7 pts
98	Lake Forest, CA	48.7	0 pts
99	Livermore, CA	48.7	+2.3 pts
100	San Diego, CA	48.7	+1.1 pts
101	Cypress, CA	48.5	-0.4 pts
102	Novato, CA	48.4	+1.9 pts
102	Oakland, CA	48.4	+1.2 pts
104	Mountain House, CA	48.3	+2.8 pts
105	Brea, CA	48.1	-1.4 pts
106	Rocklin, CA	48	+0.2 pts
107	Pacifica, CA	47.9	+0.6 pts
108	Sonoma, CA	47.8	+2.1 pts
109	Huntington Beach, CA	46.7	+1.5 pts
110	Rancho Mirage, CA	46.5	+2.2 pts
111	San Jose, CA	46	+0.6 pts
112	Tustin, CA	45.9	+0.4 pts
113	Benicia, CA	45.7	+0.5 pts
114	Morgan Hill, CA	45.7	+1.4 pts
115	Hercules, CA	45.3	+0.3 pts
116	Martinez, CA	45.3	+0.3 pts
117	Arcata, CA	45.2	-1.2 pts
118	Union City, CA	45	+3.1 pts
119	Burbank, CA	44.9	+0.9 pts
120	Los Alamitos, CA	44.4	-0.6 pts
121	Roseville, CA	44.4	0 pts
122	Fullerton, CA	44	+0.6 pts
123	Palm Springs, CA	44	+1 pts
124	Healdsburg, CA	44	-2.3 pts
125	Newark, CA	43.9	+2.9 pts
126	San Bruno, CA	43.9	+1.1 pts
127	Fountain Valley, CA	43.8	+1.2 pts
128	Glendale, CA	43.8	+0.8 pts
129	Moorpark, CA	43.5	+0.5 pts
130	Redlands, CA	43.4	-0.6 pts
131	Morro Bay, CA	43.3	+0.5 pts
132	Monrovia, CA	43.2	+0.5 pts
133	Camarillo, CA	43	+0.7 pts
134	Petaluma, CA	43	+2.6 pts
135	Costa Mesa, CA	42.5	+0.4 pts
136	Carpinteria, CA	42.3	+2.9 pts
137	Temple City, CA	41.9	-0.8 pts
138	Placentia, CA	41.8	+1.1 pts
139	La Verne, CA	41.6	+1.2 pts
140	San Marcos, CA	41.5	+0.6 pts
141	Signal Hill, CA	41.4	+2.9 pts
142	Chico, CA	41.3	+1.6 pts
143	San Juan Capistrano, CA	40.6	+0.9 pts
144	Orange, CA	40.3	+1.3 pts
145	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA	40.1	+1.5 pts
146	Palm Desert, CA	39.9	+1.3 pts
147	Eastvale, CA	39.4	-2 pts
148	South San Francisco, CA	39.4	+1 pts
149	Arroyo Grande, CA	39.3	+2.1 pts
150	Lomita, CA	39.1	+0.1 pts
151	La Mirada, CA	38.8	+1.4 pts
152	Santa Clarita, CA	38.7	+0.9 pts
153	Daly City, CA	38.5	+0.8 pts
154	Auburn, CA	38.5	-1 pts
155	La Quinta, CA	38.4	+3.4 pts
156	Alhambra, CA	38.4	+0.9 pts
157	Temecula, CA	38.1	+1.5 pts
158	Brentwood, CA	38.1	+0.6 pts
159	San Dimas, CA	38	+0.5 pts
160	Rio Vista, CA	37.9	-0.4 pts
161	Pinole, CA	37.7	+2.8 pts
162	La Mesa, CA	37.7	-0.1 pts
163	Glendora, CA	37.3	-1.6 pts
164	Lincoln, CA	37.1	+2 pts
165	Elk Grove, CA	37	-0.1 pts
166	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	37	+0.4 pts
167	Concord, CA	36.8	0 pts
168	Los Angeles, CA	36.7	+0.5 pts
169	Simi Valley, CA	36	+1.4 pts
170	Napa, CA	35.9	+0.6 pts
171	Sacramento, CA	35.8	+0.7 pts
172	Clovis, CA	35.3	+0.6 pts
173	Santa Rosa, CA	34.8	+0.4 pts
174	Windsor, CA	34.7	+1.3 pts
175	San Gabriel, CA	34.3	+0.7 pts
176	American Canyon, CA	34	+1.1 pts
177	Marina, CA	33.9	+1.2 pts
178	Ridgecrest, CA	33.8	+1.1 pts
179	Long Beach, CA	33.7	+0.8 pts
179	Upland, CA	33.7	-0.1 pts
181	Oceanside, CA	33.6	+0.7 pts
182	Monterey Park, CA	33.5	-0.1 pts
183	Duarte, CA	33.3	+0.2 pts
184	Lakewood, CA	32.9	+0.8 pts
184	San Leandro, CA	32.9	+0.8 pts
186	West Sacramento, CA	32.3	+1.9 pts
187	Richmond, CA	32.1	+0.1 pts
188	Santee, CA	31.9	+1.7 pts
189	Buena Park, CA	31.6	+0.1 pts
190	Hayward, CA	31.5	+0.6 pts
191	Rohnert Park, CA	31.4	+0.4 pts
192	Chula Vista, CA	31.2	+0.9 pts
193	Grover Beach, CA	30.9	-2.9 pts
194	Corona, CA	30.5	+1.6 pts
195	South Lake Tahoe, CA	30.3	+2.4 pts
196	Grass Valley, CA	30.3	+2.5 pts
197	Canyon Lake, CA	30.3	-1.2 pts
198	Eureka, CA	30	+0.1 pts
199	Murrieta, CA	29.9	-1 pts
200	West Covina, CA	29.8	-0.6 pts
201	Atascadero, CA	29.7	-0.3 pts
202	Carson, CA	29.6	0 pts
203	Rancho Cordova, CA	29.4	+2.2 pts
204	Gilroy, CA	29.4	+0.9 pts
205	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA	29.2	+3 pts
206	Artesia, CA	29	-1.6 pts
207	Woodland, CA	28.9	+1 pts
208	Grand Terrace, CA	28.8	+1.5 pts
209	La Habra, CA	28.7	+0.4 pts
210	Whittier, CA	28.3	+0.5 pts
211	Chino, CA	28.1	+2.4 pts
212	Anaheim, CA	28.1	+1 pts
213	Fairfield, CA	27.8	-0.2 pts
214	Vallejo, CA	27.5	0 pts
215	Vista, CA	27.2	+1.4 pts
216	Gardena, CA	26.9	+1 pts
217	Beaumont, CA	26.8	+0.4 pts
218	Azusa, CA	26.8	-0.4 pts
219	Escondido, CA	26.6	+1.1 pts
220	Yucaipa, CA	26.6	+1.5 pts
221	Redding, CA	26.4	+0.8 pts
222	Vacaville, CA	26.4	+1.3 pts
223	Covina, CA	26.2	-0.1 pts
224	Twentynine Palms, CA	26.1	+2.2 pts
225	Turlock, CA	26.1	+1.1 pts
226	Westminster, CA	26	-0.6 pts
227	Cathedral City, CA	26	+1.8 pts
228	Placerville, CA	25.3	-1.6 pts
229	Downey, CA	25.2	+0.3 pts
230	East Palo Alto, CA	25.2	-1 pts
231	Calimesa, CA	25.2	-0.4 pts
232	Ripon, CA	25.1	+0.1 pts
233	Seaside, CA	24.9	+0.7 pts
234	Paradise, CA	24.5	-0.5 pts
235	Fresno, CA	24.5	+0.8 pts
236	Tracy, CA	24.4	+2.1 pts
237	Riverside, CA	24.4	+0.5 pts
238	Hawthorne, CA	24.4	+0.4 pts
239	Garden Grove, CA	23.5	+0.5 pts
240	Visalia, CA	23.3	+0.3 pts
241	Bakersfield, CA	23.3	+0.3 pts
242	Lodi, CA	23.1	+0.7 pts
243	El Cajon, CA	23	-0.5 pts
244	Antioch, CA	23	+0.6 pts
245	Inglewood, CA	22.8	+0.3 pts
246	Oakley, CA	22.8	+0.9 pts
247	Pittsburg, CA	22.6	+1.5 pts
248	Imperial Beach, CA	22.5	-0.9 pts
249	Lake Elsinore, CA	22.4	+0.2 pts
250	Dixon, CA	22.3	+0.7 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022. 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, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022.

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, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2022,
  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, 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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, 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Los Altos, CA, with 86.4% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Mendota, CA, with 3.6% in 2022.

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.