Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2024
Piedmont, CA had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 376 cities in 2024, at 56.8%. Parlier, CA had the lowest, at 0.7%. The median was 11.2% and the figure for California was 14.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top 40 cities, 2024
Full ranking
| Rank | Cities | 2024 (%) | Change on 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piedmont, CA | 56.8 | +4.9 pts |
| 2 | Los Altos, CA | 55.7 | +0.8 pts |
| 3 | Palo Alto, CA | 55 | -0.2 pts |
| 4 | Cupertino, CA | 48.6 | -0.4 pts |
| 5 | Hillsborough, CA | 47.7 | +1.2 pts |
| 6 | Orinda, CA | 47 | +0.9 pts |
| 7 | Saratoga, CA | 46.4 | -1.2 pts |
| 8 | Mountain View, CA | 45.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 9 | San Marino, CA | 45 | +2.4 pts |
| 10 | Menlo Park, CA | 45 | -1.1 pts |
| 11 | Davis, CA | 44.5 | +1.4 pts |
| 12 | Albany, CA | 42.8 | +0.7 pts |
| 13 | Berkeley, CA | 42 | +0.4 pts |
| 14 | Palos Verdes Estates, CA | 41.5 | +2.2 pts |
| 15 | Moraga, CA | 41.2 | +2.2 pts |
| 16 | Foster City, CA | 40.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 17 | Sunnyvale, CA | 39.2 | +0.3 pts |
| 18 | Los Gatos, CA | 37.9 | +1.1 pts |
| 19 | Lafayette, CA | 37.8 | -0.2 pts |
| 20 | San Carlos, CA | 37.6 | -0 pts |
| 21 | La Cañada Flintridge, CA | 37.4 | -1.1 pts |
| 22 | Manhattan Beach, CA | 36.5 | -0.8 pts |
| 23 | Mill Valley, CA | 35.9 | -1.5 pts |
| 24 | Emeryville, CA | 35.3 | +0.6 pts |
| 25 | Santa Clara, CA | 35.3 | +1.4 pts |
| 26 | Calabasas, CA | 34.9 | +1 pts |
| 27 | Belmont, CA | 34.9 | +1 pts |
| 28 | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | 34.5 | +1.1 pts |
| 29 | South Pasadena, CA | 34.2 | +0.5 pts |
| 30 | Larkspur, CA | 33.9 | +0.5 pts |
| 31 | Beverly Hills, CA | 33.6 | -1.2 pts |
| 32 | Sierra Madre, CA | 33.5 | -1.4 pts |
| 33 | San Ramon, CA | 33.4 | +1.2 pts |
| 34 | Pleasanton, CA | 33.4 | +0.8 pts |
| 35 | Hermosa Beach, CA | 32.6 | +1.1 pts |
| 36 | El Cerrito, CA | 32.2 | -0.4 pts |
| 37 | Dublin, CA | 32 | +0.3 pts |
| 38 | Pacific Grove, CA | 31.6 | +2.8 pts |
| 39 | Irvine, CA | 31.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 40 | Coronado, CA | 31.5 | -0.2 pts |
| 41 | Fremont, CA | 31.5 | +1.2 pts |
| 42 | Claremont, CA | 30.6 | -0.3 pts |
| 43 | Walnut Creek, CA | 30.6 | 0 pts |
| 44 | Santa Monica, CA | 30.5 | +1.1 pts |
| 45 | San Anselmo, CA | 30.3 | +1.1 pts |
| 46 | Burlingame, CA | 29.8 | -1.6 pts |
| 47 | Danville, CA | 29.7 | +0.3 pts |
| 48 | Solana Beach, CA | 29.4 | +0.7 pts |
| 49 | Laguna Beach, CA | 29.2 | +0.9 pts |
| 50 | Santa Cruz, CA | 29.1 | +0.7 pts |
| 51 | Encinitas, CA | 28.6 | +0.4 pts |
| 52 | Culver City, CA | 28.5 | -2.4 pts |
| 53 | Newport Beach, CA | 27.9 | -0.6 pts |
| 54 | Agoura Hills, CA | 27.9 | +0.1 pts |
| 55 | Monterey, CA | 27.2 | +0.5 pts |
| 56 | Redwood City, CA | 27 | +0.2 pts |
| 57 | Pasadena, CA | 26.9 | +0.8 pts |
| 58 | Milpitas, CA | 26.8 | +0.9 pts |
| 59 | Alameda, CA | 26.7 | +1.3 pts |
| 60 | San Mateo, CA | 26.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 61 | Half Moon Bay, CA | 26.1 | +1.2 pts |
| 62 | Loma Linda, CA | 26 | +1.2 pts |
| 63 | Mountain House, CA | 25.9 | +4.3 pts |
| 64 | Campbell, CA | 25.9 | +1.5 pts |
| 65 | Carlsbad, CA | 25.8 | +1.2 pts |
| 66 | Redondo Beach, CA | 25.7 | +1.1 pts |
| 67 | San Francisco, CA | 25.4 | +0.3 pts |
| 68 | Laguna Niguel, CA | 25.1 | +0.3 pts |
| 69 | Pleasant Hill, CA | 25 | +2.6 pts |
| 70 | El Segundo, CA | 24.8 | +1.1 pts |
| 71 | San Luis Obispo, CA | 24.1 | +0.8 pts |
| 72 | Newark, CA | 23.9 | +1.5 pts |
| 73 | Rancho Mirage, CA | 23.6 | +0.5 pts |
| 74 | Folsom, CA | 23.3 | 0 pts |
| 75 | Poway, CA | 23.2 | +1.1 pts |
| 76 | Morro Bay, CA | 23.1 | +3.7 pts |
| 77 | Yorba Linda, CA | 23.1 | +0.7 pts |
| 78 | Dana Point, CA | 23 | -1.2 pts |
| 79 | Scotts Valley, CA | 22.8 | +0.1 pts |
| 80 | Cerritos, CA | 22.8 | +1 pts |
| 81 | Laguna Woods, CA | 22.4 | -0.4 pts |
| 82 | Santa Barbara, CA | 22.3 | +1.7 pts |
| 83 | Truckee, CA | 22.2 | +1.3 pts |
| 84 | West Hollywood, CA | 22.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 85 | Oakland, CA | 22 | +0.6 pts |
| 86 | Redlands, CA | 21.8 | -1.6 pts |
| 87 | San Rafael, CA | 21.8 | +0.2 pts |
| 88 | Aliso Viejo, CA | 21.8 | +0.9 pts |
| 89 | Seal Beach, CA | 21.8 | -0.4 pts |
| 90 | San Diego, CA | 21.7 | +0.7 pts |
| 91 | Millbrae, CA | 21.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 92 | Thousand Oaks, CA | 21.6 | +0.2 pts |
| 93 | Goleta, CA | 21.4 | +1.2 pts |
| 94 | Arcadia, CA | 21 | -1.7 pts |
| 95 | Livermore, CA | 21 | +1.1 pts |
| 96 | San Jose, CA | 20.9 | +0.6 pts |
| 97 | San Clemente, CA | 20.8 | +0.1 pts |
| 98 | Brea, CA | 20.7 | +1.6 pts |
| 99 | Cypress, CA | 19.9 | +0.7 pts |
| 100 | Walnut, CA | 19.8 | +1.7 pts |
| 101 | Torrance, CA | 19.7 | +0.9 pts |
| 102 | Palm Springs, CA | 19.5 | 0 pts |
| 103 | Mission Viejo, CA | 19.4 | +0.4 pts |
| 104 | Tustin, CA | 19.4 | +0.8 pts |
| 105 | Arcata, CA | 19.3 | +2.6 pts |
| 106 | Diamond Bar, CA | 19.2 | +0.8 pts |
| 107 | Pacifica, CA | 18.8 | +0.8 pts |
| 108 | La Palma, CA | 18.8 | +1.6 pts |
| 109 | Laguna Hills, CA | 18.8 | +0.5 pts |
| 110 | Lake Forest, CA | 18.6 | +0.8 pts |
| 111 | Novato, CA | 18.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 112 | Camarillo, CA | 17.7 | +0.6 pts |
| 113 | San Dimas, CA | 17.7 | +0.7 pts |
| 114 | Arroyo Grande, CA | 17.6 | +1.6 pts |
| 114 | Huntington Beach, CA | 17.6 | -0.1 pts |
| 116 | Clayton, CA | 17.6 | -1.2 pts |
| 117 | Auburn, CA | 17.6 | +2.6 pts |
| 118 | Union City, CA | 17.5 | -0.1 pts |
| 119 | Placentia, CA | 17.4 | +0.5 pts |
| 120 | Carpinteria, CA | 17.4 | -0.3 pts |
| 121 | Marina, CA | 17.3 | +1.1 pts |
| 121 | Sonoma, CA | 17.3 | -1.9 pts |
| 123 | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 17.3 | +0.5 pts |
| 124 | Glendale, CA | 17.2 | +0.4 pts |
| 125 | La Verne, CA | 17.1 | +0.6 pts |
| 126 | Chino Hills, CA | 16.8 | -0.3 pts |
| 127 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 16.7 | -0.1 pts |
| 128 | Monrovia, CA | 16.7 | -0.5 pts |
| 129 | Morgan Hill, CA | 16.7 | +0.9 pts |
| 130 | Rocklin, CA | 16.6 | -0.4 pts |
| 131 | Healdsburg, CA | 16.6 | +0.9 pts |
| 132 | Palm Desert, CA | 16.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 133 | San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA | 16.2 | +0.4 pts |
| 134 | Burbank, CA | 16.2 | +1.1 pts |
| 135 | Fullerton, CA | 15.9 | -0.3 pts |
| 136 | Upland, CA | 15.8 | +2 pts |
| 137 | La Quinta, CA | 15.6 | +1.4 pts |
| 138 | Petaluma, CA | 15.5 | +0.1 pts |
| 138 | San Marcos, CA | 15.5 | +1.1 pts |
| 140 | Moorpark, CA | 15.3 | 0 pts |
| 141 | Temple City, CA | 15.3 | -0.2 pts |
| 142 | Glendora, CA | 15.2 | -0.2 pts |
| 143 | Benicia, CA | 15.2 | +0.6 pts |
| 144 | Chico, CA | 15 | +0.5 pts |
| 145 | La Mesa, CA | 14.9 | +0.8 pts |
| 146 | San Bruno, CA | 14.8 | +0.9 pts |
| 147 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 14.6 | +0.2 pts |
| 148 | Lincoln, CA | 14.5 | +0.5 pts |
| 149 | Fountain Valley, CA | 14.5 | +0.8 pts |
| 150 | La Mirada, CA | 14.4 | +0.5 pts |
| 151 | Orange, CA | 14.2 | +0.1 pts |
| 152 | Roseville, CA | 14.2 | +0.1 pts |
| 153 | Sacramento, CA | 14.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 154 | Alhambra, CA | 14.1 | +0.6 pts |
| 155 | Martinez, CA | 14 | -0.3 pts |
| 156 | Hercules, CA | 14 | -0.3 pts |
| 157 | Los Angeles, CA | 13.6 | +0.3 pts |
| 158 | Clovis, CA | 13.6 | -0.3 pts |
| 159 | Santa Rosa, CA | 13.6 | +0.1 pts |
| 160 | Signal Hill, CA | 13.5 | -0.2 pts |
| 161 | Napa, CA | 13.4 | -0 pts |
| 162 | Simi Valley, CA | 13.4 | +0.8 pts |
| 163 | Costa Mesa, CA | 13.4 | +0.7 pts |
| 164 | West Sacramento, CA | 13.2 | +0.5 pts |
| 165 | Santa Clarita, CA | 13.1 | +0.3 pts |
| 166 | Temecula, CA | 13.1 | -0.5 pts |
| 167 | Long Beach, CA | 13.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 168 | Richmond, CA | 13 | +0.6 pts |
| 169 | Oceanside, CA | 12.9 | +0.8 pts |
| 170 | Grass Valley, CA | 12.9 | -0.2 pts |
| 170 | Los Alamitos, CA | 12.9 | -1 pts |
| 172 | Brentwood, CA | 12.9 | -0.2 pts |
| 173 | Elk Grove, CA | 12.9 | +0.3 pts |
| 174 | Eastvale, CA | 12.8 | +0.1 pts |
| 175 | South San Francisco, CA | 12.6 | +0.1 pts |
| 176 | Pinole, CA | 12.6 | -0.6 pts |
| 177 | Lomita, CA | 12.2 | +0.1 pts |
| 177 | Windsor, CA | 12.2 | +0.9 pts |
| 179 | Grover Beach, CA | 12.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 180 | Yucaipa, CA | 12 | +0.7 pts |
| 181 | Canyon Lake, CA | 11.9 | +1.3 pts |
| 182 | Woodland, CA | 11.8 | -0.2 pts |
| 183 | South Lake Tahoe, CA | 11.7 | +1.4 pts |
| 184 | Murrieta, CA | 11.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 185 | Rancho Cordova, CA | 11.4 | +1.5 pts |
| 186 | Concord, CA | 11.3 | -0.4 pts |
| 187 | Santee, CA | 11.3 | +1.3 pts |
| 188 | Beaumont, CA | 11.2 | +0.5 pts |
| 189 | San Gabriel, CA | 11.1 | +0.7 pts |
| 190 | Grand Terrace, CA | 11.1 | +0.1 pts |
| 191 | Chula Vista, CA | 11.1 | +0.7 pts |
| 192 | Monterey Park, CA | 11.1 | +1.1 pts |
| 193 | Whittier, CA | 11 | +0.3 pts |
| 194 | La Habra, CA | 11 | +1.3 pts |
| 195 | Seaside, CA | 10.9 | +0.8 pts |
| 196 | East Palo Alto, CA | 10.9 | -0.9 pts |
| 197 | Atascadero, CA | 10.6 | +0.7 pts |
| 198 | El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA | 10.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 198 | Rio Vista, CA | 10.5 | -2.2 pts |
| 200 | Ripon, CA | 10.4 | +1.6 pts |
| 201 | Riverside, CA | 10.4 | -0.1 pts |
| 201 | Vista, CA | 10.4 | +1.5 pts |
| 203 | Corona, CA | 10.4 | +0.3 pts |
| 204 | Ukiah, CA | 10.3 | -0.7 pts |
| 205 | Lakewood, CA | 10.3 | -0.2 pts |
| 206 | Gilroy, CA | 10.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 207 | San Leandro, CA | 10.1 | -0.3 pts |
| 208 | Duarte, CA | 10.1 | -0.8 pts |
| 208 | Rohnert Park, CA | 10.1 | -0.5 pts |
| 210 | Hayward, CA | 10 | +0.5 pts |
| 211 | Cathedral City, CA | 9.9 | -0.2 pts |
| 212 | Escondido, CA | 9.9 | +0.3 pts |
| 212 | Turlock, CA | 9.9 | +0.2 pts |
| 214 | Buena Park, CA | 9.8 | +0.1 pts |
| 215 | Calimesa, CA | 9.6 | +2.1 pts |
| 216 | Azusa, CA | 9.6 | +0.1 pts |
| 217 | Eureka, CA | 9.4 | -1.3 pts |
| 218 | Dixon, CA | 9.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 219 | Fortuna, CA | 9.3 | +1.9 pts |
| 220 | Anaheim, CA | 9.2 | -0 pts |
| 221 | Ridgecrest, CA | 9.2 | -0.7 pts |
| 222 | Visalia, CA | 9.2 | +0.7 pts |
| 223 | Daly City, CA | 9.1 | +0.4 pts |
| 224 | Fairfield, CA | 9.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 225 | Highland, CA | 9.1 | -0.3 pts |
| 226 | Redding, CA | 8.8 | +0.3 pts |
| 227 | Lodi, CA | 8.7 | +0.6 pts |
| 228 | Inglewood, CA | 8.7 | +1 pts |
| 229 | Vacaville, CA | 8.7 | -0 pts |
| 230 | Carson, CA | 8.6 | +0.7 pts |
| 231 | Fresno, CA | 8.6 | +0.4 pts |
| 232 | Port Hueneme, CA | 8.5 | +1.7 pts |
| 233 | Bakersfield, CA | 8.4 | +0.3 pts |
| 234 | Paradise, CA | 8.4 | +1.5 pts |
| 235 | Indio, CA | 8.4 | -0.2 pts |
| 236 | Chino, CA | 8.3 | 0 pts |
| 237 | Imperial Beach, CA | 8.3 | +0.8 pts |
| 238 | West Covina, CA | 8.2 | -0.3 pts |
| 239 | Vallejo, CA | 8.2 | -0.1 pts |
| 240 | Tracy, CA | 8.1 | +0.3 pts |
| 241 | Placerville, CA | 8.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 242 | Gardena, CA | 8.1 | +0.1 pts |
| 243 | American Canyon, CA | 8 | -1.4 pts |
| 244 | Covina, CA | 8 | -0.4 pts |
| 245 | Hawthorne, CA | 8 | 0 pts |
| 246 | Lancaster, CA | 7.9 | +0.5 pts |
| 247 | Artesia, CA | 7.9 | -0.8 pts |
| 248 | Lake Elsinore, CA | 7.9 | +1.3 pts |
| 249 | Downey, CA | 7.8 | 0 pts |
| 250 | Apple Valley, CA | 7.8 | -0.5 pts |
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 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree 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
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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree 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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree 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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-cities.
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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2024,
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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-cities. 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, 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree 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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 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/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-cities
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-cities.
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, 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 -
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"graduate_degree_share","level":"municipality","within":"California","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=graduate_degree_share&level=municipality&within=California&limit=10
Questions
Which city has the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?
Piedmont, CA, with 56.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Which city has the lowest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?
Parlier, CA, with 0.7% 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 master's, professional school or doctorate degree 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.
Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over: other rankings
- Cities in West Virginia
- Cities in Idaho
- Cities in Missouri
- Counties in Arkansas
- Counties in Tennessee
- Counties in North Dakota