Data / Rankings / Bachelor's degree or higher, population 25 and over / US states

US states by share of adults with a bachelor's degree, 2024

District of Columbia had the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree of 51 states in 2024, at 64.3%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 24.1%. The median was 34.6% and the figure for the United States was 35.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest64.3District of Columbia
Lowest24.1West Virginia
Median34.651 states
United States35.7History

All states, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 64.3 %64.3MassachusettsMassachusetts: 47.3 %47.3ColoradoColorado: 45.7 %45.7VermontVermont: 43.8 %43.8New JerseyNew Jersey: 43.6 %43.6MarylandMaryland: 43.5 %43.5ConnecticutConnecticut: 42.5 %42.5VirginiaVirginia: 42.2 %42.2New HampshireNew Hampshire: 40.7 %40.7New YorkNew York: 40.2 %40.2WashingtonWashington: 39.6 %39.6MinnesotaMinnesota: 39.4 %39.4IllinoisIllinois: 37.9 %37.9Rhode IslandRhode Island: 37.7 %37.7UtahUtah: 37.7 %37.7CaliforniaCalifornia: 37.1 %37.1OregonOregon: 36.8 %36.8MaineMaine: 36.2 %36.2HawaiiHawaii: 36.1 %36.1DelawareDelaware: 35.8 %35.8North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 35.7 %35.7KansasKansas: 35.6 %35.6MontanaMontana: 35.2 %35.2PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 35.2 %35.2GeorgiaGeorgia: 35 %35NebraskaNebraska: 34.6 %34.6FloridaFlorida: 34.2 %34.2TexasTexas: 33.8 %33.8WisconsinWisconsin: 33.4 %33.4ArizonaArizona: 33.3 %33.3North DakotaNorth Dakota: 32.7 %32.7MichiganMichigan: 32.5 %32.5MissouriMissouri: 32.4 %32.4South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 32.1 %32.1South DakotaSouth Dakota: 31.9 %31.9IdahoIdaho: 31.8 %31.8AlaskaAlaska: 31.7 %31.7OhioOhio: 31.5 %31.5IowaIowa: 31.4 %31.4TennesseeTennessee: 31.1 %31.1New MexicoNew Mexico: 31 %31WyomingWyoming: 30.6 %30.6IndianaIndiana: 29.5 %29.5AlabamaAlabama: 28.4 %28.4OklahomaOklahoma: 28.4 %28.4NevadaNevada: 27.9 %27.9KentuckyKentucky: 27.6 %27.6LouisianaLouisiana: 27 %27ArkansasArkansas: 25.7 %25.7MississippiMississippi: 25.1 %25.1West VirginiaWest Virginia: 24.1 %24.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2024 (%)Change on 2023
1District of Columbia64.3+0.7 pts
2Massachusetts47.3+0.7 pts
3Colorado45.7+1 pts
4Vermont43.8+1.2 pts
5New Jersey43.6+0.7 pts
6Maryland43.5+0.7 pts
7Connecticut42.5+0.5 pts
8Virginia42.2+0.7 pts
9New Hampshire40.7+0.8 pts
10New York40.2+0.7 pts
11Washington39.6+0.8 pts
12Minnesota39.4+0.6 pts
13Illinois37.9+0.7 pts
14Rhode Island37.7+0.4 pts
15Utah37.7+0.8 pts
16California37.1+0.6 pts
17Oregon36.8+0.6 pts
18Maine36.2+0.8 pts
19Hawaii36.1+0.7 pts
20Delaware35.8+0.5 pts
21North Carolina35.7+0.9 pts
22Kansas35.6+0.4 pts
23Montana35.2+0.6 pts
23Pennsylvania35.2+0.7 pts
25Georgia35+0.8 pts
26Nebraska34.6+0.5 pts
27Florida34.2+0.9 pts
28Texas33.8+0.7 pts
29Wisconsin33.4+0.6 pts
30Arizona33.3+0.7 pts
31North Dakota32.7+0.4 pts
32Michigan32.5+0.7 pts
33Missouri32.4+0.5 pts
34South Carolina32.1+0.7 pts
35South Dakota31.9+0.8 pts
36Idaho31.8+0.6 pts
37Alaska31.7+0.4 pts
38Ohio31.5+0.5 pts
39Iowa31.4+0.6 pts
40Tennessee31.1+0.7 pts
41New Mexico31+0.8 pts
42Wyoming30.6+0.6 pts
43Indiana29.5+0.7 pts
44Alabama28.4+0.6 pts
45Oklahoma28.4+0.6 pts
46Nevada27.9+0.5 pts
47Kentucky27.6+0.6 pts
48Louisiana27+0.5 pts
49Arkansas25.7+0.6 pts
50Mississippi25.1+1 pts
51West Virginia24.1+0.8 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. Calculated from counts in ACS table B15003, which are stored as inputs.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states 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. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

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

District of Columbia, with 64.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

West Virginia, with 24.1% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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

US states: more rankings