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 2023, at 87.2%. Corcoran, CA had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 32.6% and the figure for California was 36.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest87.2Los Altos, CA

Lowest3.2Corcoran, CA

Median32.6376 cities

California36.5History

Top 40 cities, 2023

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2023 (%)	Change on 2022
1	Los Altos, CA	87.2	+0.8 pts
2	Piedmont, CA	86.8	+2 pts
3	Orinda, CA	85.4	-0.9 pts
4	Cupertino, CA	83.1	+0.3 pts
5	Hillsborough, CA	82.8	+0.1 pts
6	Palo Alto, CA	82.4	+0.1 pts
7	Saratoga, CA	81.2	+1.2 pts
8	Moraga, CA	81	+1.1 pts
9	San Marino, CA	80.2	+0.1 pts
10	Manhattan Beach, CA	79	+0.8 pts
11	Palos Verdes Estates, CA	78.5	-1.4 pts
12	Mill Valley, CA	77.1	+1.2 pts
13	Lafayette, CA	77	+1.7 pts
14	Hermosa Beach, CA	76.5	-1.8 pts
15	Albany, CA	76.4	+1.1 pts
16	La Cañada Flintridge, CA	75.5	+1.7 pts
17	Davis, CA	75.1	-0.1 pts
18	Berkeley, CA	75.1	+1.3 pts
19	Los Gatos, CA	74.9	+0.1 pts
20	Emeryville, CA	74.9	+2.3 pts
21	Mountain View, CA	74.3	+0.3 pts
22	Foster City, CA	74.1	+1.5 pts
23	Menlo Park, CA	72.7	+0.2 pts
24	South Pasadena, CA	72.7	+0.9 pts
25	Danville, CA	72.5	-0.2 pts
26	Solana Beach, CA	71.8	+1.4 pts
27	Calabasas, CA	71.3	+1.3 pts
28	San Ramon, CA	71.2	+0.7 pts
29	San Anselmo, CA	70.8	+0.6 pts
30	Irvine, CA	70.6	+0.6 pts
31	Newport Beach, CA	69.6	+1.5 pts
32	Dublin, CA	69.5	+0.7 pts
33	Beverly Hills, CA	69.4	+3.9 pts
33	Larkspur, CA	69.4	-2.1 pts
33	Walnut Creek, CA	69.4	-0.1 pts
36	Sunnyvale, CA	69.2	+1.2 pts
37	Rancho Palos Verdes, CA	69.1	+0.2 pts
38	Belmont, CA	68.9	+0.5 pts
39	Santa Monica, CA	68.9	+1.1 pts
40	Pleasanton, CA	68.7	+0.5 pts
41	San Carlos, CA	68.1	+1.2 pts
42	Laguna Beach, CA	67.1	+2.1 pts
43	Encinitas, CA	67.1	+2.4 pts
44	Agoura Hills, CA	66.5	-0.5 pts
45	Redondo Beach, CA	66.4	+1.4 pts
46	El Cerrito, CA	66.3	+0.7 pts
47	Coronado, CA	66.2	+1.9 pts
48	Sierra Madre, CA	65.4	+0.7 pts
49	Santa Clara, CA	65.3	+0.6 pts
50	Culver City, CA	64.9	+2.1 pts
51	Burlingame, CA	64.2	-0.1 pts
52	West Hollywood, CA	62.9	+1.4 pts
53	Fremont, CA	62.7	+0.8 pts
54	El Segundo, CA	62.6	+1.3 pts
55	Carlsbad, CA	61.4	+2 pts
56	Alameda, CA	60.3	+0.5 pts
57	San Francisco, CA	60.1	+0.3 pts
58	Campbell, CA	59.5	-0.1 pts
59	Laguna Niguel, CA	59.3	+2.7 pts
60	Claremont, CA	59.3	+1.7 pts
61	Truckee, CA	59.2	+1.4 pts
62	Clayton, CA	58.8	+1.6 pts
63	Milpitas, CA	58.6	+2.4 pts
64	Pacific Grove, CA	58.5	+1.3 pts
65	Arcadia, CA	57.8	+2.9 pts
66	Santa Cruz, CA	57.8	+0.7 pts
67	San Mateo, CA	57.6	-0.6 pts
68	Cerritos, CA	57.1	+1.9 pts
69	Dana Point, CA	57.1	+1.9 pts
70	Aliso Viejo, CA	57.1	+0.6 pts
71	Yorba Linda, CA	56.2	+1 pts
72	Pasadena, CA	56.1	+1.6 pts
73	Pleasant Hill, CA	55.5	-0.5 pts
74	Walnut, CA	55.3	-0.3 pts
75	Folsom, CA	54.7	+0.8 pts
76	San Luis Obispo, CA	54.4	+1.7 pts
77	Scotts Valley, CA	54.4	+0.7 pts
78	Monterey, CA	54.4	+0.4 pts
79	Redwood City, CA	54.4	+1.3 pts
80	Poway, CA	53.4	-0 pts
81	Half Moon Bay, CA	53.2	-1.3 pts
82	Torrance, CA	53	+0.3 pts
83	Laguna Hills, CA	52.9	+0.2 pts
84	Diamond Bar, CA	52.7	+0.7 pts
85	Loma Linda, CA	51.9	+2.4 pts
86	Laguna Woods, CA	51.8	+1.2 pts
87	San Clemente, CA	51.7	+1.7 pts
88	Seal Beach, CA	51.1	-0.3 pts
89	Mission Viejo, CA	51.1	-0.1 pts
90	Thousand Oaks, CA	50.9	+1.3 pts
91	Mountain House, CA	50.9	+2.6 pts
92	Livermore, CA	50.6	+1.9 pts
93	Millbrae, CA	50.5	+0.8 pts
94	Santa Barbara, CA	50.2	-0.4 pts
95	Brea, CA	50.2	+2.1 pts
96	Lake Forest, CA	50.1	+1.3 pts
97	San Diego, CA	49.9	+1.2 pts
98	San Rafael, CA	49.4	-0.2 pts
99	Cypress, CA	49.1	+0.7 pts
100	La Palma, CA	48.8	-1.5 pts
101	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	48.8	-1.2 pts
102	Rocklin, CA	48.5	+0.5 pts
103	Pacifica, CA	48.5	+0.6 pts
104	Chino Hills, CA	48.4	-1.5 pts
105	Goleta, CA	48.3	-1.7 pts
106	Oakland, CA	47.9	-0.5 pts
107	Sonoma, CA	47.7	-0.1 pts
108	Novato, CA	47.5	-1 pts
109	Huntington Beach, CA	47.2	+0.5 pts
110	Newark, CA	47.1	+3.2 pts
111	Rancho Mirage, CA	46.5	0 pts
112	San Jose, CA	46.5	+0.5 pts
113	Morro Bay, CA	46.4	+3.1 pts
114	Hercules, CA	46.3	+1 pts
115	Burbank, CA	46	+1.1 pts
116	Tustin, CA	46	+0.1 pts
117	Martinez, CA	45.5	+0.3 pts
118	Benicia, CA	45.5	-0.2 pts
119	Glendale, CA	45.5	+1.7 pts
120	Union City, CA	45.3	+0.3 pts
121	Palm Springs, CA	45.1	+1.1 pts
122	Arcata, CA	45.1	-0.1 pts
123	Fountain Valley, CA	44.9	+1.1 pts
123	Moorpark, CA	44.9	+1.4 pts
125	Carpinteria, CA	44.6	+2.4 pts
126	Arroyo Grande, CA	44.5	+5.2 pts
127	Roseville, CA	44.1	-0.3 pts
128	Morgan Hill, CA	44	-1.6 pts
129	San Bruno, CA	43.8	-0.1 pts
130	Monrovia, CA	43.8	+0.6 pts
131	Placentia, CA	43.7	+1.9 pts
132	Redlands, CA	43.7	+0.3 pts
133	Fullerton, CA	43.6	-0.4 pts
134	Costa Mesa, CA	43.6	+1.1 pts
135	Los Alamitos, CA	43.5	-0.9 pts
136	Camarillo, CA	43.4	+0.4 pts
137	Petaluma, CA	42.9	-0 pts
138	San Marcos, CA	42.7	+1.2 pts
139	Temple City, CA	42.5	+0.6 pts
140	Eastvale, CA	42.3	+2.9 pts
141	San Juan Capistrano, CA	42.3	+1.6 pts
142	La Verne, CA	41.4	-0.2 pts
143	Chico, CA	41.3	0 pts
144	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA	41.1	+1 pts
145	San Dimas, CA	40.3	+2.3 pts
146	South San Francisco, CA	40.1	+0.8 pts
147	Orange, CA	40.1	-0.2 pts
148	Palm Desert, CA	39.9	-0.1 pts
149	La Mirada, CA	39.7	+0.9 pts
150	Healdsburg, CA	39.5	-4.5 pts
151	Glendora, CA	39.3	+2 pts
152	Santa Clarita, CA	39.3	+0.6 pts
153	Alhambra, CA	39.3	+0.9 pts
154	Temecula, CA	39.2	+1.1 pts
155	La Quinta, CA	38.9	+0.5 pts
156	Brentwood, CA	38.8	+0.7 pts
157	Pinole, CA	38.7	+0.9 pts
158	La Mesa, CA	38.4	+0.7 pts
159	Lincoln, CA	38.4	+1.3 pts
160	Auburn, CA	38.2	-0.3 pts
161	Lomita, CA	38.1	-1.1 pts
162	Signal Hill, CA	38	-3.3 pts
163	Elk Grove, CA	38	+1 pts
164	Daly City, CA	38	-0.5 pts
165	Los Angeles, CA	37.8	+1.1 pts
166	Concord, CA	37.8	+1 pts
167	Simi Valley, CA	37.5	+1.5 pts
168	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	37.3	+0.3 pts
169	Napa, CA	36.7	+0.9 pts
170	Clovis, CA	36.7	+1.4 pts
171	Sacramento, CA	36.4	+0.6 pts
172	Marina, CA	36.1	+2.2 pts
173	Upland, CA	35.7	+2 pts
174	Rio Vista, CA	35.4	-2.5 pts
175	Monterey Park, CA	34.9	+1.5 pts
176	Long Beach, CA	34.8	+1.2 pts
177	Santa Rosa, CA	34.8	0 pts
178	San Gabriel, CA	34.7	+0.5 pts
179	Windsor, CA	34.3	-0.3 pts
180	Oceanside, CA	34.3	+0.7 pts
181	South Lake Tahoe, CA	34	+3.7 pts
182	West Sacramento, CA	33.8	+1.5 pts
183	San Leandro, CA	33.7	+0.8 pts
184	Duarte, CA	33.2	-0.1 pts
185	Santee, CA	32.9	+1 pts
186	American Canyon, CA	32.7	-1.3 pts
187	Lakewood, CA	32.6	-0.3 pts
188	Hayward, CA	32.6	+1.1 pts
189	Richmond, CA	32.6	+0.5 pts
190	Chula Vista, CA	32.3	+1.1 pts
191	Buena Park, CA	32.1	+0.5 pts
192	Grass Valley, CA	32	+1.7 pts
193	Murrieta, CA	31.8	+2 pts
194	Artesia, CA	31.8	+2.8 pts
195	Ridgecrest, CA	31.7	-2.2 pts
196	Eureka, CA	31.3	+1.3 pts
197	Rancho Cordova, CA	31	+1.6 pts
198	Paradise, CA	30.9	+6.4 pts
199	Corona, CA	30.9	+0.3 pts
200	Calimesa, CA	30.4	+5.3 pts
201	Woodland, CA	30.2	+1.4 pts
202	Atascadero, CA	30.2	+0.5 pts
203	Rohnert Park, CA	30.1	-1.3 pts
204	West Covina, CA	29.8	+0.1 pts
205	La Habra, CA	29.7	+1 pts
206	Canyon Lake, CA	29.5	-0.7 pts
207	Whittier, CA	29.2	+0.9 pts
208	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA	29.1	-0 pts
209	Carson, CA	29.1	-0.5 pts
210	Anaheim, CA	28.8	+0.7 pts
211	Gilroy, CA	28.6	-0.8 pts
212	Grand Terrace, CA	28.5	-0.3 pts
213	Chino, CA	28.5	+0.3 pts
214	Gardena, CA	28	+1.1 pts
215	Vallejo, CA	28	+0.5 pts
216	Escondido, CA	27.8	+1.2 pts
217	Beaumont, CA	27.8	+1 pts
218	Vacaville, CA	27.6	+1.3 pts
219	Seaside, CA	27.5	+2.6 pts
220	Covina, CA	27.4	+1.3 pts
221	Vista, CA	27.2	-0.1 pts
222	Azusa, CA	26.9	+0.1 pts
222	Grover Beach, CA	26.9	-4 pts
224	Fairfield, CA	26.7	-1.1 pts
225	Turlock, CA	26.6	+0.5 pts
226	Westminster, CA	26.5	+0.4 pts
227	Ripon, CA	26.3	+1.2 pts
228	Yucaipa, CA	26.2	-0.4 pts
229	Tracy, CA	26.2	+1.7 pts
230	Redding, CA	26.1	-0.3 pts
231	East Palo Alto, CA	25.8	+0.6 pts
232	Cathedral City, CA	25.8	-0.2 pts
233	Riverside, CA	25.7	+1.3 pts
234	Downey, CA	25.6	+0.4 pts
235	Placerville, CA	25.1	-0.2 pts
236	Hawthorne, CA	25	+0.6 pts
237	Garden Grove, CA	24.9	+1.4 pts
238	Fresno, CA	24.9	+0.4 pts
239	Twentynine Palms, CA	24.7	-1.4 pts
240	Dixon, CA	24.3	+2 pts
241	Inglewood, CA	24.2	+1.4 pts
242	Antioch, CA	23.9	+1 pts
243	Lathrop, CA	23.8	+2.6 pts
244	Imperial Beach, CA	23.7	+1.2 pts
245	Pittsburg, CA	23.5	+1 pts
246	Santa Fe Springs, CA	23.4	+1.3 pts
247	Bakersfield, CA	23.3	-0 pts
248	Lodi, CA	23.2	+0.1 pts
249	Oakley, CA	23.2	+0.4 pts
250	Lake Elsinore, CA	23	+0.6 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023. 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, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023.

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, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/california-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 87.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Corcoran, CA, with 3.2% in 2023.

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.