Data / Rankings / Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over / Cities in California

Cities in California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over

Los Altos, CA had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 376 cities in 2021, at 54.8%. Mendota, CA had the lowest, at 0.4%. The median was 10.5% and the figure for California was 13.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest54.8Los Altos, CA
Lowest0.4Mendota, CA
Median10.5376 cities
California13.4History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Los Altos, CA: 54.8 %Los Altos, CA54.8Palo Alto, CA: 54.7 %Palo Alto, CA54.7Hillsborough, CA: 47.8 %Hillsborough, CA47.8Cupertino, CA: 47.6 %Cupertino, CA47.6Piedmont, CA: 47.6 %Piedmont, CA47.6Saratoga, CA: 46.3 %Saratoga, CA46.3Orinda, CA: 45.7 %Orinda, CA45.7Menlo Park, CA: 44.3 %Menlo Park, CA44.3Davis, CA: 44.2 %Davis, CA44.2Mountain View, CA: 42.5 %Mountain View, CA42.5Berkeley, CA: 40.2 %Berkeley, CA40.2Albany, CA: 39.9 %Albany, CA39.9Moraga, CA: 39.7 %Moraga, CA39.7San Marino, CA: 38.6 %San Marino, CA38.6La Cañada Flintridge, CA: 38 %La Cañada Flintridge, CA38Sunnyvale, CA: 37.5 %Sunnyvale, CA37.5San Carlos, CA: 36.2 %San Carlos, CA36.2Mill Valley, CA: 36.1 %Mill Valley, CA36.1Foster City, CA: 35.8 %Foster City, CA35.8Lafayette, CA: 35.7 %Lafayette, CA35.7Manhattan Beach, CA: 35.6 %Manhattan Beach, CA35.6Los Gatos, CA: 35.5 %Los Gatos, CA35.5Palos Verdes Estates, CA: 35.3 %Palos Verdes Estates, CA35.3South Pasadena, CA: 34.5 %South Pasadena, CA34.5Belmont, CA: 34.1 %Belmont, CA34.1Larkspur, CA: 33 %Larkspur, CA33Rancho Palos Verdes, CA: 32.7 %Rancho Palos Verdes, CA32.7Emeryville, CA: 32.6 %Emeryville, CA32.6Santa Clara, CA: 32.5 %Santa Clara, CA32.5El Cerrito, CA: 32.2 %El Cerrito, CA32.2San Ramon, CA: 31.5 %San Ramon, CA31.5Coronado, CA: 31.4 %Coronado, CA31.4Sierra Madre, CA: 31.3 %Sierra Madre, CA31.3Walnut Creek, CA: 31.1 %Walnut Creek, CA31.1Calabasas, CA: 30.6 %Calabasas, CA30.6Pleasanton, CA: 30.6 %Pleasanton, CA30.6Claremont, CA: 30.5 %Claremont, CA30.5Irvine, CA: 30.5 %Irvine, CA30.5Laguna Beach, CA: 30 %Laguna Beach, CA30Burlingame, CA: 29.7 %Burlingame, CA29.7Los Altos, CA: 54.8 %Los Altos, CA54.8Palo Alto, CA: 54.7 %Palo Alto, CA54.7Hillsborough, CA: 47.8 %Hillsborough, CA47.8Cupertino, CA: 47.6 %Cupertino, CA47.6Piedmont, CA: 47.6 %Piedmont, CA47.6Saratoga, CA: 46.3 %Saratoga, CA46.3Orinda, CA: 45.7 %Orinda, CA45.7Menlo Park, CA: 44.3 %Menlo Park, CA44.3Davis, CA: 44.2 %Davis, CA44.2Mountain View, CA: 42.5 %Mountain View, CA42.5Berkeley, CA: 40.2 %Berkeley, CA40.2Albany, CA: 39.9 %Albany, CA39.9Moraga, CA: 39.7 %Moraga, CA39.7San Marino, CA: 38.6 %San Marino, CA38.6La Cañada Flintridge, CA: 38 %La Cañada Flintridge, CA38Sunnyvale, CA: 37.5 %Sunnyvale, CA37.5San Carlos, CA: 36.2 %San Carlos, CA36.2Mill Valley, CA: 36.1 %Mill Valley, CA36.1Foster City, CA: 35.8 %Foster City, CA35.8Lafayette, CA: 35.7 %Lafayette, CA35.7Manhattan Beach, CA: 35.6 %Manhattan Beach, CA35.6Los Gatos, CA: 35.5 %Los Gatos, CA35.5Palos Verdes Estates, CA: 35.3 %Palos Verdes Estates, CA35.3South Pasadena, CA: 34.5 %South Pasadena, CA34.5Belmont, CA: 34.1 %Belmont, CA34.1Larkspur, CA: 33 %Larkspur, CA33Rancho Palos Verdes, CA: 32.7 %Rancho Palos Verdes, CA32.7Emeryville, CA: 32.6 %Emeryville, CA32.6Santa Clara, CA: 32.5 %Santa Clara, CA32.5El Cerrito, CA: 32.2 %El Cerrito, CA32.2San Ramon, CA: 31.5 %San Ramon, CA31.5Coronado, CA: 31.4 %Coronado, CA31.4Sierra Madre, CA: 31.3 %Sierra Madre, CA31.3Walnut Creek, CA: 31.1 %Walnut Creek, CA31.1Calabasas, CA: 30.6 %Calabasas, CA30.6Pleasanton, CA: 30.6 %Pleasanton, CA30.6Claremont, CA: 30.5 %Claremont, CA30.5Irvine, CA: 30.5 %Irvine, CA30.5Laguna Beach, CA: 30 %Laguna Beach, CA30Burlingame, CA: 29.7 %Burlingame, CA29.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Los Altos, CA54.8
2Palo Alto, CA54.7
3Hillsborough, CA47.8
4Cupertino, CA47.6
4Piedmont, CA47.6
6Saratoga, CA46.3
7Orinda, CA45.7
8Menlo Park, CA44.3
9Davis, CA44.2
10Mountain View, CA42.5
11Berkeley, CA40.2
12Albany, CA39.9
13Moraga, CA39.7
14San Marino, CA38.6
15La Cañada Flintridge, CA38
16Sunnyvale, CA37.5
17San Carlos, CA36.2
18Mill Valley, CA36.1
19Foster City, CA35.8
20Lafayette, CA35.7
21Manhattan Beach, CA35.6
22Los Gatos, CA35.5
23Palos Verdes Estates, CA35.3
24South Pasadena, CA34.5
25Belmont, CA34.1
26Larkspur, CA33
27Rancho Palos Verdes, CA32.7
28Emeryville, CA32.6
29Santa Clara, CA32.5
30El Cerrito, CA32.2
31San Ramon, CA31.5
32Coronado, CA31.4
33Sierra Madre, CA31.3
34Walnut Creek, CA31.1
35Calabasas, CA30.6
36Pleasanton, CA30.6
37Claremont, CA30.5
38Irvine, CA30.5
39Laguna Beach, CA30
40Burlingame, CA29.7
41Dublin, CA29.7
42Culver City, CA29.5
43Santa Monica, CA29.3
44San Anselmo, CA29.3
45Beverly Hills, CA29.2
46Fremont, CA29.1
47Newport Beach, CA28.6
48Santa Cruz, CA28.5
49Solana Beach, CA28.4
50Hermosa Beach, CA28.4
51Pacific Grove, CA27.5
52Encinitas, CA27.2
53San Mateo, CA25.9
54Agoura Hills, CA25.8
55Redwood City, CA25.8
56Danville, CA25.7
57Pasadena, CA25.3
58Monterey, CA24.3
59San Francisco, CA24.1
60Redondo Beach, CA24
61Carlsbad, CA24
62Alameda, CA23.4
63Laguna Niguel, CA23.1
64Campbell, CA22.8
65San Luis Obispo, CA22.4
66Loma Linda, CA22.4
67Scotts Valley, CA22.3
68Milpitas, CA21.9
69Folsom, CA21.8
70El Segundo, CA21.7
71Poway, CA21.6
72Redlands, CA21.5
73Aliso Viejo, CA21.3
74Dana Point, CA21.3
75Half Moon Bay, CA21.2
76Laguna Woods, CA21.2
77San Clemente, CA21
78San Rafael, CA21
79Yorba Linda, CA20.9
80Rancho Mirage, CA20.9
81Santa Barbara, CA20.7
82West Hollywood, CA20.6
83Arcadia, CA20.5
84Oakland, CA20.4
85Truckee, CA20.2
86Morro Bay, CA20.1
87Seal Beach, CA20
88Thousand Oaks, CA19.9
89Pleasant Hill, CA19.8
90Clayton, CA19.8
91San Diego, CA19.7
92Cerritos, CA19.6
93Millbrae, CA19.6
94Goleta, CA19.5
95San Jose, CA19.4
96Arcata, CA19.1
97Brea, CA19.1
98Tustin, CA19
99Diamond Bar, CA18.9
100Mountain House, CA18.8
101Sonoma, CA18.4
102Palm Springs, CA18.3
103Mission Viejo, CA18.2
104Pacifica, CA18.1
105Torrance, CA18.1
106Laguna Hills, CA17.8
107Cypress, CA17.8
108Newark, CA17.7
109Healdsburg, CA17.4
110Chino Hills, CA17.2
111Livermore, CA17
112Lake Forest, CA16.9
113Rocklin, CA16.9
114Novato, CA16.9
115Huntington Beach, CA16.8
116Walnut, CA16.6
117La Palma, CA16.5
118Auburn, CA16.4
119San Juan Capistrano, CA16.4
120Fullerton, CA16.2
121Camarillo, CA16.1
122Rancho Santa Margarita, CA15.6
123Monrovia, CA15.5
124La Verne, CA15.4
125Moorpark, CA15.3
126Morgan Hill, CA15.2
127Glendale, CA15.2
128Union City, CA15.2
129Rio Vista, CA15.1
130Martinez, CA15
131San Dimas, CA14.8
132Placentia, CA14.8
133Petaluma, CA14.7
134Carpinteria, CA14.5
135Benicia, CA14.5
136Los Alamitos, CA14.4
137San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA14.3
138Glendora, CA14.2
139Rancho Cucamonga, CA14
140Palm Desert, CA13.9
141Roseville, CA13.9
142Burbank, CA13.9
143San Marcos, CA13.8
144Hercules, CA13.7
145Temple City, CA13.7
146Marina, CA13.7
147Chico, CA13.4
148La Quinta, CA13.4
149Fountain Valley, CA13.4
150La Mesa, CA13.3
151Lincoln, CA13.3
151San Bruno, CA13.3
153Santa Rosa, CA13
154Sacramento, CA13
155Lomita, CA12.9
155Signal Hill, CA12.9
157Costa Mesa, CA12.8
158Alhambra, CA12.7
159Elk Grove, CA12.7
160Orange, CA12.6
161Los Angeles, CA12.5
162Temecula, CA12.3
163Santa Clarita, CA12.3
164East Palo Alto, CA12.3
165Clovis, CA12.3
166Upland, CA12.3
167Oceanside, CA12.1
168Grover Beach, CA12
169Richmond, CA12
170Eastvale, CA11.9
171West Sacramento, CA11.9
172La Mirada, CA11.9
173Arroyo Grande, CA11.9
174Duarte, CA11.8
175Brentwood, CA11.6
176Canyon Lake, CA11.6
176Napa, CA11.6
178Concord, CA11.6
179Long Beach, CA11.5
180Pinole, CA11.4
181Ridgecrest, CA11.2
182South San Francisco, CA11.2
183Grass Valley, CA11
184Woodland, CA10.8
185Simi Valley, CA10.8
186Windsor, CA10.7
187Monterey Park, CA10.6
187Yucaipa, CA10.6
189Whittier, CA10.4
190Atascadero, CA10.2
191Gilroy, CA10.1
192Murrieta, CA10
193Grand Terrace, CA9.9
194San Leandro, CA9.8
195Chula Vista, CA9.8
196Rohnert Park, CA9.7
196Ukiah, CA9.7
198Highland, CA9.7
199Riverside, CA9.7
200Beaumont, CA9.5
200Ripon, CA9.5
202La Habra, CA9.5
203Lakewood, CA9.5
204Azusa, CA9.5
205San Gabriel, CA9.3
206Cathedral City, CA9.3
207Eureka, CA9.3
208Corona, CA9.2
208Fairfield, CA9.2
210Artesia, CA9.1
211West Covina, CA9
212Santee, CA9
213American Canyon, CA8.9
214Buena Park, CA8.8
214Escondido, CA8.8
214Hayward, CA8.8
217Daly City, CA8.8
218Vista, CA8.7
219Oakdale, CA8.7
219Turlock, CA8.7
221Redding, CA8.6
222Anaheim, CA8.5
222Kingsburg, CA8.5
224Seaside, CA8.3
225Vallejo, CA8.3
226Covina, CA8.3
227Vacaville, CA8.2
228Rancho Cordova, CA8
229Visalia, CA8
230Placerville, CA8
231Bakersfield, CA8
232Fresno, CA7.9
233Westminster, CA7.9
234El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA7.7
235Lodi, CA7.5
236Downey, CA7.5
237Carson, CA7.3
237Dixon, CA7.3
239Lemoore, CA7.3
240Lemon Grove, CA7.2
241Lancaster, CA7.2
242Hawthorne, CA7.2
243Imperial Beach, CA7.2
244Norco, CA7.1
244South Lake Tahoe, CA7.1
246Yuba City, CA7.1
247Menifee, CA7.1
248Inglewood, CA7.1
249El Cajon, CA7
250Gardena, CA7

Showing the top 250 of 376. The Excel download has every row.

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/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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in California 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California 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/california-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 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, 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/california-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California 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/california-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_california_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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California 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/california-cities?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, 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 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, 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/california-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-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 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/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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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}
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Questions

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

Los Altos, CA, with 54.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Mendota, CA, with 0.4% 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 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 California: more rankings