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

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

Chapel Hill, NC had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 93 cities in 2021, at 78.5%. Lexington, NC had the lowest, at 13.4%. The median was 34.8% and the figure for North Carolina was 33%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest78.5Chapel Hill, NC
Lowest13.4Lexington, NC
Median34.893 cities
North Carolina33History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Chapel Hill, NC: 78.5 %Chapel Hill, NC78.5Davidson, NC: 75 %Davidson, NC75Morrisville, NC: 71.5 %Morrisville, NC71.5Cary, NC: 69.5 %Cary, NC69.5Carrboro, NC: 68.6 %Carrboro, NC68.6Weddington, NC: 64.8 %Weddington, NC64.8Apex, NC: 64.4 %Apex, NC64.4Rolesville, NC: 63.5 %Rolesville, NC63.5Pinehurst, NC: 61.5 %Pinehurst, NC61.5Holly Springs, NC: 61.1 %Holly Springs, NC61.1Summerfield, NC: 56.5 %Summerfield, NC56.5Waxhaw, NC: 56.4 %Waxhaw, NC56.4Wake Forest, NC: 55.7 %Wake Forest, NC55.7Cornelius, NC: 55.7 %Cornelius, NC55.7Huntersville, NC: 55.5 %Huntersville, NC55.5Matthews, NC: 55.1 %Matthews, NC55.1Elon, NC: 54.3 %Elon, NC54.3Durham, NC: 52.8 %Durham, NC52.8Raleigh, NC: 52.4 %Raleigh, NC52.4Southern Pines, NC: 51.9 %Southern Pines, NC51.9Harrisburg, NC: 51.5 %Harrisburg, NC51.5Asheville, NC: 50.8 %Asheville, NC50.8Clemmons, NC: 50.5 %Clemmons, NC50.5Stallings, NC: 48.1 %Stallings, NC48.1Boone, NC: 47.3 %Boone, NC47.3Fuquay-Varina, NC: 47.1 %Fuquay-Varina, NC47.1Lewisville, NC: 46 %Lewisville, NC46Charlotte, NC: 45.7 %Charlotte, NC45.7Knightdale, NC: 44.1 %Knightdale, NC44.1Mooresville, NC: 43.8 %Mooresville, NC43.8Belmont, NC: 43.8 %Belmont, NC43.8Garner, NC: 43.6 %Garner, NC43.6Wilmington, NC: 43.6 %Wilmington, NC43.6Winterville, NC: 43.5 %Winterville, NC43.5Pineville, NC: 43.1 %Pineville, NC43.1Concord, NC: 40.2 %Concord, NC40.2Indian Trail, NC: 39.6 %Indian Trail, NC39.6Greensboro, NC: 39.5 %Greensboro, NC39.5Mint Hill, NC: 39.2 %Mint Hill, NC39.2Leland, NC: 39.1 %Leland, NC39.1Chapel Hill, NC: 78.5 %Chapel Hill, NC78.5Davidson, NC: 75 %Davidson, NC75Morrisville, NC: 71.5 %Morrisville, NC71.5Cary, NC: 69.5 %Cary, NC69.5Carrboro, NC: 68.6 %Carrboro, NC68.6Weddington, NC: 64.8 %Weddington, NC64.8Apex, NC: 64.4 %Apex, NC64.4Rolesville, NC: 63.5 %Rolesville, NC63.5Pinehurst, NC: 61.5 %Pinehurst, NC61.5Holly Springs, NC: 61.1 %Holly Springs, NC61.1Summerfield, NC: 56.5 %Summerfield, NC56.5Waxhaw, NC: 56.4 %Waxhaw, NC56.4Wake Forest, NC: 55.7 %Wake Forest, NC55.7Cornelius, NC: 55.7 %Cornelius, NC55.7Huntersville, NC: 55.5 %Huntersville, NC55.5Matthews, NC: 55.1 %Matthews, NC55.1Elon, NC: 54.3 %Elon, NC54.3Durham, NC: 52.8 %Durham, NC52.8Raleigh, NC: 52.4 %Raleigh, NC52.4Southern Pines, NC: 51.9 %Southern Pines, NC51.9Harrisburg, NC: 51.5 %Harrisburg, NC51.5Asheville, NC: 50.8 %Asheville, NC50.8Clemmons, NC: 50.5 %Clemmons, NC50.5Stallings, NC: 48.1 %Stallings, NC48.1Boone, NC: 47.3 %Boone, NC47.3Fuquay-Varina, NC: 47.1 %Fuquay-Varina, NC47.1Lewisville, NC: 46 %Lewisville, NC46Charlotte, NC: 45.7 %Charlotte, NC45.7Knightdale, NC: 44.1 %Knightdale, NC44.1Mooresville, NC: 43.8 %Mooresville, NC43.8Belmont, NC: 43.8 %Belmont, NC43.8Garner, NC: 43.6 %Garner, NC43.6Wilmington, NC: 43.6 %Wilmington, NC43.6Winterville, NC: 43.5 %Winterville, NC43.5Pineville, NC: 43.1 %Pineville, NC43.1Concord, NC: 40.2 %Concord, NC40.2Indian Trail, NC: 39.6 %Indian Trail, NC39.6Greensboro, NC: 39.5 %Greensboro, NC39.5Mint Hill, NC: 39.2 %Mint Hill, NC39.2Leland, NC: 39.1 %Leland, NC39.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Chapel Hill, NC78.5
2Davidson, NC75
3Morrisville, NC71.5
4Cary, NC69.5
5Carrboro, NC68.6
6Weddington, NC64.8
7Apex, NC64.4
8Rolesville, NC63.5
9Pinehurst, NC61.5
10Holly Springs, NC61.1
11Summerfield, NC56.5
12Waxhaw, NC56.4
13Wake Forest, NC55.7
14Cornelius, NC55.7
15Huntersville, NC55.5
16Matthews, NC55.1
17Elon, NC54.3
18Durham, NC52.8
19Raleigh, NC52.4
20Southern Pines, NC51.9
21Harrisburg, NC51.5
22Asheville, NC50.8
23Clemmons, NC50.5
24Stallings, NC48.1
25Boone, NC47.3
26Fuquay-Varina, NC47.1
27Lewisville, NC46
28Charlotte, NC45.7
29Knightdale, NC44.1
30Mooresville, NC43.8
31Belmont, NC43.8
32Garner, NC43.6
33Wilmington, NC43.6
34Winterville, NC43.5
35Pineville, NC43.1
36Concord, NC40.2
37Indian Trail, NC39.6
38Greensboro, NC39.5
39Mint Hill, NC39.2
40Leland, NC39.1
41Greenville, NC38.9
42Hendersonville, NC37.9
43Mebane, NC37.2
44Hickory, NC36.7
45Morehead City, NC36.1
46Mount Holly, NC35.2
47Aberdeen, NC34.8
48Winston-Salem, NC34.6
49Kernersville, NC33.9
50High Point, NC33.4
51Wendell, NC31.5
52Waynesville, NC29.7
53Clayton, NC29.5
54New Bern, NC28.9
55Fayetteville, NC27.6
56Elizabeth City, NC27.5
57Burlington, NC27.2
58Spring Lake, NC27.1
59Statesville, NC26.8
60Smithfield, NC26.4
61Salisbury, NC25.9
62Jacksonville, NC25.9
63Mount Airy, NC25.2
64Kannapolis, NC25.1
65Gastonia, NC24.9
65Shelby, NC24.9
67Tarboro, NC24.9
68Morganton, NC24
69Zebulon, NC22.8
70Graham, NC22.5
71Hope Mills, NC22.5
72Wilson, NC22.3
73Goldsboro, NC22.1
73Newton, NC22.1
75Rocky Mount, NC22
76Lumberton, NC21.7
77Sanford, NC21.6
78Archdale, NC20.9
79Roanoke Rapids, NC20.7
80Reidsville, NC20.6
81Laurinburg, NC19.9
82Monroe, NC19.7
83Lincolnton, NC19.1
84Albemarle, NC18.6
85Henderson, NC17.8
86Asheboro, NC17.8
87Lenoir, NC16.7
88Havelock, NC16.7
89Kings Mountain, NC16.3
90Eden, NC16.1
91Kinston, NC14.7
92Thomasville, NC13.4
93Lexington, NC13.4

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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021. 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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021.

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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_north_carolina_2021,
  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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021. 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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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 North Carolina by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/bachelors-degree-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2021.
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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-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?

Chapel Hill, NC, with 78.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Lexington, NC, with 13.4% in 2021.

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 North Carolina: more rankings