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

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

St. Matthews, KY had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 42 cities in 2024, at 58.7%. Shively, KY had the lowest, at 13.9%. The median was 27.1% and the figure for Kentucky was 27.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest58.7St. Matthews, KY
Lowest13.9Shively, KY
Median27.142 cities
Kentucky27.6History

All cities, 2024

St. Matthews, KY: 58.7 %St. Matthews, KY58.7Fort Thomas, KY: 55.3 %Fort Thomas, KY55.3Lexington, KY: 48.3 %Lexington, KY48.3Lyndon, KY: 43.8 %Lyndon, KY43.8Jeffersontown, KY: 39.8 %Jeffersontown, KY39.8La Grange, KY: 38.4 %La Grange, KY38.4Versailles, KY: 36.7 %Versailles, KY36.7Independence, KY: 36.4 %Independence, KY36.4Newport, KY: 36.3 %Newport, KY36.3Murray, KY: 36.1 %Murray, KY36.1Alexandria, KY: 35.3 %Alexandria, KY35.3Richmond, KY: 34.9 %Richmond, KY34.9Georgetown, KY: 34.1 %Georgetown, KY34.1Louisville, KY: 33.8 %Louisville, KY33.8Covington, KY: 32.3 %Covington, KY32.3Erlanger, KY: 32.1 %Erlanger, KY32.1Bowling Green, KY: 31.2 %Bowling Green, KY31.2Paducah, KY: 28.8 %Paducah, KY28.8Frankfort, KY: 28.4 %Frankfort, KY28.4Elizabethtown, KY: 28.3 %Elizabethtown, KY28.3Berea, KY: 27.2 %Berea, KY27.2Nicholasville, KY: 26.9 %Nicholasville, KY26.9Shelbyville, KY: 26.7 %Shelbyville, KY26.7Bardstown, KY: 26.7 %Bardstown, KY26.7Danville, KY: 26.5 %Danville, KY26.5Florence, KY: 26.4 %Florence, KY26.4Mount Washington, KY: 26.1 %Mount Washington, KY26.1Owensboro, KY: 26.1 %Owensboro, KY26.1Paris, KY: 25 %Paris, KY25Ashland, KY: 24.8 %Ashland, KY24.8Campbellsville, KY: 24.7 %Campbellsville, KY24.7Madisonville, KY: 23.7 %Madisonville, KY23.7Hopkinsville, KY: 23.3 %Hopkinsville, KY23.3Glasgow, KY: 22.4 %Glasgow, KY22.4Winchester, KY: 22.4 %Winchester, KY22.4Lawrenceburg, KY: 21.8 %Lawrenceburg, KY21.8Somerset, KY: 19.9 %Somerset, KY19.9Henderson, KY: 19.4 %Henderson, KY19.4Radcliff, KY: 18.3 %Radcliff, KY18.3Shepherdsville, KY: 16.8 %Shepherdsville, KY16.8Franklin, KY: 15.5 %Franklin, KY15.5Shively, KY: 13.9 %Shively, KY13.9St. Matthews, KY: 58.7 %St. Matthews, KY58.7Fort Thomas, KY: 55.3 %Fort Thomas, KY55.3Lexington, KY: 48.3 %Lexington, KY48.3Lyndon, KY: 43.8 %Lyndon, KY43.8Jeffersontown, KY: 39.8 %Jeffersontown, KY39.8La Grange, KY: 38.4 %La Grange, KY38.4Versailles, KY: 36.7 %Versailles, KY36.7Independence, KY: 36.4 %Independence, KY36.4Newport, KY: 36.3 %Newport, KY36.3Murray, KY: 36.1 %Murray, KY36.1Alexandria, KY: 35.3 %Alexandria, KY35.3Richmond, KY: 34.9 %Richmond, KY34.9Georgetown, KY: 34.1 %Georgetown, KY34.1Louisville, KY: 33.8 %Louisville, KY33.8Covington, KY: 32.3 %Covington, KY32.3Erlanger, KY: 32.1 %Erlanger, KY32.1Bowling Green, KY: 31.2 %Bowling Green, KY31.2Paducah, KY: 28.8 %Paducah, KY28.8Frankfort, KY: 28.4 %Frankfort, KY28.4Elizabethtown, KY: 28.3 %Elizabethtown, KY28.3Berea, KY: 27.2 %Berea, KY27.2Nicholasville, KY: 26.9 %Nicholasville, KY26.9Shelbyville, KY: 26.7 %Shelbyville, KY26.7Bardstown, KY: 26.7 %Bardstown, KY26.7Danville, KY: 26.5 %Danville, KY26.5Florence, KY: 26.4 %Florence, KY26.4Mount Washington, KY: 26.1 %Mount Washington, KY26.1Owensboro, KY: 26.1 %Owensboro, KY26.1Paris, KY: 25 %Paris, KY25Ashland, KY: 24.8 %Ashland, KY24.8Campbellsville, KY: 24.7 %Campbellsville, KY24.7Madisonville, KY: 23.7 %Madisonville, KY23.7Hopkinsville, KY: 23.3 %Hopkinsville, KY23.3Glasgow, KY: 22.4 %Glasgow, KY22.4Winchester, KY: 22.4 %Winchester, KY22.4Lawrenceburg, KY: 21.8 %Lawrenceburg, KY21.8Somerset, KY: 19.9 %Somerset, KY19.9Henderson, KY: 19.4 %Henderson, KY19.4Radcliff, KY: 18.3 %Radcliff, KY18.3Shepherdsville, KY: 16.8 %Shepherdsville, KY16.8Franklin, KY: 15.5 %Franklin, KY15.5Shively, KY: 13.9 %Shively, KY13.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2024 (%)Change on 2023
1St. Matthews, KY58.7+2.2 pts
2Fort Thomas, KY55.3-0.3 pts
3Lexington, KY48.3+1 pts
4Lyndon, KY43.8-0.7 pts
5Jeffersontown, KY39.8+0.9 pts
6La Grange, KY38.4-0.5 pts
7Versailles, KY36.7+0.5 pts
8Independence, KY36.4-0.9 pts
9Newport, KY36.3+0.5 pts
10Murray, KY36.1-0.9 pts
11Alexandria, KY35.3-1.2 pts
12Richmond, KY34.9+0.5 pts
13Georgetown, KY34.1+1.6 pts
14Louisville, KY33.8+0.4 pts
15Covington, KY32.3+0.3 pts
16Erlanger, KY32.1-0.3 pts
17Bowling Green, KY31.2-0.8 pts
18Paducah, KY28.8+0.4 pts
19Frankfort, KY28.4+0.5 pts
20Elizabethtown, KY28.3-0.1 pts
21Berea, KY27.2+0.3 pts
22Nicholasville, KY26.9-0.1 pts
23Shelbyville, KY26.7+1.4 pts
24Bardstown, KY26.7+2 pts
25Danville, KY26.5-0 pts
26Florence, KY26.4+0.2 pts
27Mount Washington, KY26.1+1.1 pts
28Owensboro, KY26.1+0.7 pts
29Paris, KY25+3.1 pts
30Ashland, KY24.8+0.2 pts
31Campbellsville, KY24.7-2.1 pts
32Madisonville, KY23.7+1.4 pts
33Hopkinsville, KY23.3+1.1 pts
34Glasgow, KY22.4-0.6 pts
34Winchester, KY22.4+1.4 pts
36Lawrenceburg, KY21.8+3.4 pts
37Somerset, KY19.9+3.1 pts
38Henderson, KY19.4+1.2 pts
39Radcliff, KY18.3+1.7 pts
40Shepherdsville, KY16.8-0.4 pts
41Franklin, KY15.5+2 pts
42Shively, KY13.9+1.2 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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/kentucky-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 Kentucky 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/kentucky-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 Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_kentucky_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 Kentucky 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/kentucky-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 Kentucky 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/kentucky-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/kentucky-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?

St. Matthews, KY, with 58.7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Shively, KY, with 13.9% 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 Kentucky: more rankings