Data / Rankings / Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over

Lee County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 67 counties in 2021, at 17.8%. Fayette County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 6.3% and the figure for Alabama was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest17.8Lee County
Lowest3.1Fayette County
Median6.367 counties
Alabama10.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Autauga County: 11.7 %Baldwin County: 11.8 %Barbour County: 4.4 %Bibb County: 4 %Blount County: 5.6 %Bullock County: 3.6 %Butler County: 5.9 %Calhoun County: 8.1 %Chambers County: 4.1 %Cherokee County: 6.6 %Chilton County: 5.6 %Choctaw County: 3.6 %Clarke County: 5.4 %Clay County: 4.5 %Cleburne County: 4.2 %Coffee County: 8.5 %Colbert County: 6.8 %Conecuh County: 5.7 %Coosa County: 3.4 %Covington County: 6.3 %Crenshaw County: 4.9 %Cullman County: 5.7 %Dale County: 6.1 %Dallas County: 6.3 %DeKalb County: 5.7 %Elmore County: 8 %Escambia County: 4.1 %Etowah County: 7.1 %Fayette County: 3.1 %Franklin County: 4.3 %Geneva County: 4.5 %Greene County: 4.2 %Hale County: 4.9 %Henry County: 7.2 %Houston County: 8.1 %Jackson County: 6.2 %Jefferson County: 13.5 %Lamar County: 3.7 %Lauderdale County: 9.5 %Lawrence County: 5.5 %Lee County: 17.8 %Limestone County: 9.5 %Lowndes County: 7 %Macon County: 9.9 %Madison County: 17.4 %Marengo County: 8.7 %Marion County: 5.2 %Marshall County: 6.8 %Mobile County: 8.5 %Monroe County: 4.8 %Montgomery County: 13.8 %Morgan County: 7.4 %Perry County: 6.6 %Pickens County: 4.4 %Pike County: 11.5 %Randolph County: 7.1 %Russell County: 6.4 %St. Clair County: 6.2 %Shelby County: 15.3 %Sumter County: 8.7 %Talladega County: 6.8 %Tallapoosa County: 7.1 %Tuscaloosa County: 12.6 %Walker County: 5.6 %Washington County: 7.6 %Wilcox County: 3.7 %Winston County: 6 %
  • Under 4.3
  • 4.3 to 5.5
  • 5.5 to 6.3
  • 6.3 to 7.1
  • 7.1 to 9.5
  • 9.5 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Lee County: 17.8 %Lee County17.8Madison County: 17.4 %Madison County17.4Shelby County: 15.3 %Shelby County15.3Montgomery County: 13.8 %Montgomery County13.8Jefferson County: 13.5 %Jefferson County13.5Tuscaloosa County: 12.6 %Tuscaloosa County12.6Baldwin County: 11.8 %Baldwin County11.8Autauga County: 11.7 %Autauga County11.7Pike County: 11.5 %Pike County11.5Macon County: 9.9 %Macon County9.9Lauderdale County: 9.5 %Lauderdale County9.5Limestone County: 9.5 %Limestone County9.5Marengo County: 8.7 %Marengo County8.7Sumter County: 8.7 %Sumter County8.7Mobile County: 8.5 %Mobile County8.5Coffee County: 8.5 %Coffee County8.5Calhoun County: 8.1 %Calhoun County8.1Houston County: 8.1 %Houston County8.1Elmore County: 8 %Elmore County8Washington County: 7.6 %Washington County7.6Morgan County: 7.4 %Morgan County7.4Henry County: 7.2 %Henry County7.2Etowah County: 7.1 %Etowah County7.1Randolph County: 7.1 %Randolph County7.1Tallapoosa County: 7.1 %Tallapoosa County7.1Lowndes County: 7 %Lowndes County7Talladega County: 6.8 %Talladega County6.8Marshall County: 6.8 %Marshall County6.8Colbert County: 6.8 %Colbert County6.8Cherokee County: 6.6 %Cherokee County6.6Perry County: 6.6 %Perry County6.6Russell County: 6.4 %Russell County6.4Covington County: 6.3 %Covington County6.3Dallas County: 6.3 %Dallas County6.3Jackson County: 6.2 %Jackson County6.2St. Clair County: 6.2 %St. Clair County6.2Dale County: 6.1 %Dale County6.1Winston County: 6 %Winston County6Butler County: 5.9 %Butler County5.9Cullman County: 5.7 %Cullman County5.7Lee County: 17.8 %Lee County17.8Madison County: 17.4 %Madison County17.4Shelby County: 15.3 %Shelby County15.3Montgomery County: 13.8 %Montgomery County13.8Jefferson County: 13.5 %Jefferson County13.5Tuscaloosa County: 12.6 %Tuscaloosa County12.6Baldwin County: 11.8 %Baldwin County11.8Autauga County: 11.7 %Autauga County11.7Pike County: 11.5 %Pike County11.5Macon County: 9.9 %Macon County9.9Lauderdale County: 9.5 %Lauderdale County9.5Limestone County: 9.5 %Limestone County9.5Marengo County: 8.7 %Marengo County8.7Sumter County: 8.7 %Sumter County8.7Mobile County: 8.5 %Mobile County8.5Coffee County: 8.5 %Coffee County8.5Calhoun County: 8.1 %Calhoun County8.1Houston County: 8.1 %Houston County8.1Elmore County: 8 %Elmore County8Washington County: 7.6 %Washington County7.6Morgan County: 7.4 %Morgan County7.4Henry County: 7.2 %Henry County7.2Etowah County: 7.1 %Etowah County7.1Randolph County: 7.1 %Randolph County7.1Tallapoosa County: 7.1 %Tallapoosa County7.1Lowndes County: 7 %Lowndes County7Talladega County: 6.8 %Talladega County6.8Marshall County: 6.8 %Marshall County6.8Colbert County: 6.8 %Colbert County6.8Cherokee County: 6.6 %Cherokee County6.6Perry County: 6.6 %Perry County6.6Russell County: 6.4 %Russell County6.4Covington County: 6.3 %Covington County6.3Dallas County: 6.3 %Dallas County6.3Jackson County: 6.2 %Jackson County6.2St. Clair County: 6.2 %St. Clair County6.2Dale County: 6.1 %Dale County6.1Winston County: 6 %Winston County6Butler County: 5.9 %Butler County5.9Cullman County: 5.7 %Cullman County5.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Lee County17.8
2Madison County17.4
3Shelby County15.3
4Montgomery County13.8
5Jefferson County13.5
6Tuscaloosa County12.6
7Baldwin County11.8
8Autauga County11.7
9Pike County11.5
10Macon County9.9
11Lauderdale County9.5
12Limestone County9.5
13Marengo County8.7
13Sumter County8.7
15Mobile County8.5
16Coffee County8.5
17Calhoun County8.1
18Houston County8.1
19Elmore County8
20Washington County7.6
21Morgan County7.4
22Henry County7.2
23Etowah County7.1
24Randolph County7.1
25Tallapoosa County7.1
26Lowndes County7
27Talladega County6.8
28Marshall County6.8
29Colbert County6.8
30Cherokee County6.6
31Perry County6.6
32Russell County6.4
33Covington County6.3
34Dallas County6.3
35Jackson County6.2
36St. Clair County6.2
37Dale County6.1
38Winston County6
39Butler County5.9
40Cullman County5.7
41Conecuh County5.7
42DeKalb County5.7
43Chilton County5.6
44Blount County5.6
45Walker County5.6
46Lawrence County5.5
47Clarke County5.4
48Marion County5.2
49Hale County4.9
50Crenshaw County4.9
51Monroe County4.8
52Clay County4.5
53Geneva County4.5
54Pickens County4.4
55Barbour County4.4
56Franklin County4.3
57Greene County4.2
58Cleburne County4.2
59Escambia County4.1
60Chambers County4.1
61Bibb County4
62Lamar County3.7
63Wilcox County3.7
64Choctaw County3.6
65Bullock County3.6
66Coosa County3.4
67Fayette County3.1

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 and over whose highest degree is a 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.

A subset of bachelors_degree_share, which also counts people whose highest degree is a bachelor's.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_alabama_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/alabama-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. 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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Rank Counties in Alabama by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?

Lee County, with 17.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?

Fayette County, with 3.1% 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over: other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings