Data / Rankings / Bachelor's degree or higher, population 25 and over / Cities in Iowa

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

Ames, IA had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 41 cities in 2024, at 65.8%. Storm Lake, IA had the lowest, at 18.9%. The median was 33.5% and the figure for Iowa was 31.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest65.8Ames, IA
Lowest18.9Storm Lake, IA
Median33.541 cities
Iowa31.4History

All cities, 2024

Ames, IA: 65.8 %Ames, IA65.8Clive, IA: 61 %Clive, IA61Iowa City, IA: 60.5 %Iowa City, IA60.5Waukee, IA: 58 %Waukee, IA58Johnston, IA: 57.8 %Johnston, IA57.8Coralville, IA: 56 %Coralville, IA56West Des Moines, IA: 54.9 %West Des Moines, IA54.9North Liberty, IA: 54.5 %North Liberty, IA54.5Ankeny, IA: 52.1 %Ankeny, IA52.1Grimes, IA: 51.5 %Grimes, IA51.5Urbandale, IA: 51.2 %Urbandale, IA51.2Bettendorf, IA: 50.7 %Bettendorf, IA50.7Cedar Falls, IA: 50.4 %Cedar Falls, IA50.4Pella, IA: 47.4 %Pella, IA47.4Waverly, IA: 44.1 %Waverly, IA44.1Norwalk, IA: 38.8 %Norwalk, IA38.8Marion, IA: 38.1 %Marion, IA38.1Pleasant Hill, IA: 35.5 %Pleasant Hill, IA35.5Indianola, IA: 35 %Indianola, IA35Dubuque, IA: 34 %Dubuque, IA34Altoona, IA: 33.5 %Altoona, IA33.5Cedar Rapids, IA: 33.1 %Cedar Rapids, IA33.1Davenport, IA: 29.9 %Davenport, IA29.9Spencer, IA: 29.8 %Spencer, IA29.8Des Moines, IA: 29.7 %Des Moines, IA29.7Carroll, IA: 27.1 %Carroll, IA27.1Oskaloosa, IA: 25.4 %Oskaloosa, IA25.4Boone, IA: 24 %Boone, IA24Sioux City, IA: 22.9 %Sioux City, IA22.9Burlington, IA: 22.5 %Burlington, IA22.5Waterloo, IA: 21.8 %Waterloo, IA21.8Fort Dodge, IA: 21.7 %Fort Dodge, IA21.7Council Bluffs, IA: 21.5 %Council Bluffs, IA21.5Muscatine, IA: 21.1 %Muscatine, IA21.1Le Mars, IA: 21.1 %Le Mars, IA21.1Marshalltown, IA: 20.9 %Marshalltown, IA20.9Clinton, IA: 20.8 %Clinton, IA20.8Mason City, IA: 20.8 %Mason City, IA20.8Ottumwa, IA: 20.8 %Ottumwa, IA20.8Newton, IA: 19.5 %Newton, IA19.5Storm Lake, IA: 18.9 %Storm Lake, IA18.9Ames, IA: 65.8 %Ames, IA65.8Clive, IA: 61 %Clive, IA61Iowa City, IA: 60.5 %Iowa City, IA60.5Waukee, IA: 58 %Waukee, IA58Johnston, IA: 57.8 %Johnston, IA57.8Coralville, IA: 56 %Coralville, IA56West Des Moines, IA: 54.9 %West Des Moines, IA54.9North Liberty, IA: 54.5 %North Liberty, IA54.5Ankeny, IA: 52.1 %Ankeny, IA52.1Grimes, IA: 51.5 %Grimes, IA51.5Urbandale, IA: 51.2 %Urbandale, IA51.2Bettendorf, IA: 50.7 %Bettendorf, IA50.7Cedar Falls, IA: 50.4 %Cedar Falls, IA50.4Pella, IA: 47.4 %Pella, IA47.4Waverly, IA: 44.1 %Waverly, IA44.1Norwalk, IA: 38.8 %Norwalk, IA38.8Marion, IA: 38.1 %Marion, IA38.1Pleasant Hill, IA: 35.5 %Pleasant Hill, IA35.5Indianola, IA: 35 %Indianola, IA35Dubuque, IA: 34 %Dubuque, IA34Altoona, IA: 33.5 %Altoona, IA33.5Cedar Rapids, IA: 33.1 %Cedar Rapids, IA33.1Davenport, IA: 29.9 %Davenport, IA29.9Spencer, IA: 29.8 %Spencer, IA29.8Des Moines, IA: 29.7 %Des Moines, IA29.7Carroll, IA: 27.1 %Carroll, IA27.1Oskaloosa, IA: 25.4 %Oskaloosa, IA25.4Boone, IA: 24 %Boone, IA24Sioux City, IA: 22.9 %Sioux City, IA22.9Burlington, IA: 22.5 %Burlington, IA22.5Waterloo, IA: 21.8 %Waterloo, IA21.8Fort Dodge, IA: 21.7 %Fort Dodge, IA21.7Council Bluffs, IA: 21.5 %Council Bluffs, IA21.5Muscatine, IA: 21.1 %Muscatine, IA21.1Le Mars, IA: 21.1 %Le Mars, IA21.1Marshalltown, IA: 20.9 %Marshalltown, IA20.9Clinton, IA: 20.8 %Clinton, IA20.8Mason City, IA: 20.8 %Mason City, IA20.8Ottumwa, IA: 20.8 %Ottumwa, IA20.8Newton, IA: 19.5 %Newton, IA19.5Storm Lake, IA: 18.9 %Storm Lake, IA18.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Ames, IA65.8+2.2 pts
2Clive, IA61+1.5 pts
3Iowa City, IA60.5-0.1 pts
4Waukee, IA58+1.2 pts
5Johnston, IA57.8-0.1 pts
6Coralville, IA56-1.3 pts
7West Des Moines, IA54.9+0.3 pts
8North Liberty, IA54.5+1.2 pts
9Ankeny, IA52.1-1.1 pts
10Grimes, IA51.5+4 pts
11Urbandale, IA51.2-0.2 pts
12Bettendorf, IA50.7-0.6 pts
13Cedar Falls, IA50.4+1.2 pts
14Pella, IA47.4-0.5 pts
15Waverly, IA44.1+0.2 pts
16Norwalk, IA38.8-1.3 pts
17Marion, IA38.1-1.1 pts
18Pleasant Hill, IA35.5+3.3 pts
19Indianola, IA35+1.5 pts
20Dubuque, IA34+0.5 pts
21Altoona, IA33.5+1 pts
22Cedar Rapids, IA33.1+0.2 pts
23Davenport, IA29.9-0 pts
24Spencer, IA29.8+1.6 pts
25Des Moines, IA29.7+0.7 pts
26Carroll, IA27.1+1.5 pts
27Oskaloosa, IA25.4-0.6 pts
28Boone, IA24-0.9 pts
29Sioux City, IA22.9+1.3 pts
30Burlington, IA22.5-0.6 pts
31Waterloo, IA21.8-0.8 pts
32Fort Dodge, IA21.7+1.6 pts
33Council Bluffs, IA21.5-0.2 pts
34Muscatine, IA21.1-0 pts
35Le Mars, IA21.1-3.2 pts
36Marshalltown, IA20.9+1.2 pts
37Clinton, IA20.8-0.8 pts
38Mason City, IA20.8-0.6 pts
39Ottumwa, IA20.8+0.7 pts
40Newton, IA19.5+0.7 pts
41Storm Lake, IA18.90 pts

Other periods

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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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/iowa-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 Iowa 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/iowa-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 Iowa 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/iowa-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_iowa_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 Iowa 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/iowa-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 Iowa 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/iowa-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/iowa-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  -
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Questions

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

Ames, IA, with 65.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Storm Lake, IA, with 18.9% 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.

Bachelor's degree or higher, population 25 and over: other rankings

Cities in Iowa: more rankings