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

Santa Clara County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 58 counties in 2022, at 27.2%. Lassen County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 9.2% and the figure for California was 13.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Lowest3.1Lassen County
Median9.258 counties
California13.8History

Map of counties, 2022

Alameda County: 22.2 %Alpine County: 16.4 %Amador County: 6.2 %Butte County: 10.6 %Calaveras County: 6.9 %Colusa County: 3.4 %Contra Costa County: 17.3 %Del Norte County: 6.6 %El Dorado County: 12.7 %Fresno County: 7.9 %Glenn County: 3.4 %Humboldt County: 10.8 %Imperial County: 4.1 %Inyo County: 11.6 %Kern County: 6.2 %Kings County: 4.7 %Lake County: 6.1 %Lassen County: 3.1 %Los Angeles County: 12.3 %Madera County: 5.5 %Marin County: 27.1 %Mariposa County: 9.4 %Mendocino County: 9.6 %Merced County: 4.5 %Modoc County: 7.5 %Mono County: 12 %Monterey County: 10.8 %Napa County: 13.4 %Nevada County: 13.7 %Orange County: 15.8 %Placer County: 14.8 %Plumas County: 6.6 %Riverside County: 8.7 %Sacramento County: 11.5 %San Benito County: 6.2 %San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Diego County: 16.1 %San Francisco County: 24.7 %San Joaquin County: 6.5 %San Luis Obispo County: 14.1 %San Mateo County: 23.5 %Santa Barbara County: 14.4 %Santa Clara County: 27.2 %Santa Cruz County: 17.9 %Shasta County: 7.4 %Sierra County: 12.1 %Siskiyou County: 7.2 %Solano County: 8.9 %Sonoma County: 14.5 %Stanislaus County: 5.6 %Sutter County: 6.7 %Tehama County: 4.9 %Trinity County: 7.5 %Tulare County: 5.5 %Tuolumne County: 7.9 %Ventura County: 12.9 %Yolo County: 20.9 %Yuba County: 5.9 %
  • Under 5.8
  • 5.8 to 6.8
  • 6.8 to 9.2
  • 9.2 to 12
  • 12 to 16
  • 16 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2022

Santa Clara County: 27.2 %Santa Clara County27.2Marin County: 27.1 %Marin County27.1San Francisco County: 24.7 %San Francisco County24.7San Mateo County: 23.5 %San Mateo County23.5Alameda County: 22.2 %Alameda County22.2Yolo County: 20.9 %Yolo County20.9Santa Cruz County: 17.9 %Santa Cruz County17.9Contra Costa County: 17.3 %Contra Costa County17.3Alpine County: 16.4 %Alpine County16.4San Diego County: 16.1 %San Diego County16.1Orange County: 15.8 %Orange County15.8Placer County: 14.8 %Placer County14.8Sonoma County: 14.5 %Sonoma County14.5Santa Barbara County: 14.4 %Santa Barbara County14.4San Luis Obispo County: 14.1 %San Luis Obispo County14.1Nevada County: 13.7 %Nevada County13.7Napa County: 13.4 %Napa County13.4Ventura County: 12.9 %Ventura County12.9El Dorado County: 12.7 %El Dorado County12.7Los Angeles County: 12.3 %Los Angeles County12.3Sierra County: 12.1 %Sierra County12.1Mono County: 12 %Mono County12Inyo County: 11.6 %Inyo County11.6Sacramento County: 11.5 %Sacramento County11.5Monterey County: 10.8 %Monterey County10.8Humboldt County: 10.8 %Humboldt County10.8Butte County: 10.6 %Butte County10.6Mendocino County: 9.6 %Mendocino County9.6Mariposa County: 9.4 %Mariposa County9.4Solano County: 8.9 %Solano County8.9Riverside County: 8.7 %Riverside County8.7San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Bernardino County7.9Tuolumne County: 7.9 %Tuolumne County7.9Fresno County: 7.9 %Fresno County7.9Trinity County: 7.5 %Trinity County7.5Modoc County: 7.5 %Modoc County7.5Shasta County: 7.4 %Shasta County7.4Siskiyou County: 7.2 %Siskiyou County7.2Calaveras County: 6.9 %Calaveras County6.9Sutter County: 6.7 %Sutter County6.7Del Norte County: 6.6 %Del Norte County6.6Plumas County: 6.6 %Plumas County6.6San Joaquin County: 6.5 %San Joaquin County6.5San Benito County: 6.2 %San Benito County6.2Kern County: 6.2 %Kern County6.2Amador County: 6.2 %Amador County6.2Lake County: 6.1 %Lake County6.1Yuba County: 5.9 %Yuba County5.9Stanislaus County: 5.6 %Stanislaus County5.6Madera County: 5.5 %Madera County5.5Tulare County: 5.5 %Tulare County5.5Tehama County: 4.9 %Tehama County4.9Kings County: 4.7 %Kings County4.7Merced County: 4.5 %Merced County4.5Imperial County: 4.1 %Imperial County4.1Glenn County: 3.4 %Glenn County3.4Colusa County: 3.4 %Colusa County3.4Lassen County: 3.1 %Lassen County3.1Santa Clara County: 27.2 %Santa Clara County27.2Marin County: 27.1 %Marin County27.1San Francisco County: 24.7 %San Francisco County24.7San Mateo County: 23.5 %San Mateo County23.5Alameda County: 22.2 %Alameda County22.2Yolo County: 20.9 %Yolo County20.9Santa Cruz County: 17.9 %Santa Cruz County17.9Contra Costa County: 17.3 %Contra Costa County17.3Alpine County: 16.4 %Alpine County16.4San Diego County: 16.1 %San Diego County16.1Orange County: 15.8 %Orange County15.8Placer County: 14.8 %Placer County14.8Sonoma County: 14.5 %Sonoma County14.5Santa Barbara County: 14.4 %Santa Barbara County14.4San Luis Obispo County: 14.1 %San Luis Obispo County14.1Nevada County: 13.7 %Nevada County13.7Napa County: 13.4 %Napa County13.4Ventura County: 12.9 %Ventura County12.9El Dorado County: 12.7 %El Dorado County12.7Los Angeles County: 12.3 %Los Angeles County12.3Sierra County: 12.1 %Sierra County12.1Mono County: 12 %Mono County12Inyo County: 11.6 %Inyo County11.6Sacramento County: 11.5 %Sacramento County11.5Monterey County: 10.8 %Monterey County10.8Humboldt County: 10.8 %Humboldt County10.8Butte County: 10.6 %Butte County10.6Mendocino County: 9.6 %Mendocino County9.6Mariposa County: 9.4 %Mariposa County9.4Solano County: 8.9 %Solano County8.9Riverside County: 8.7 %Riverside County8.7San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Bernardino County7.9Tuolumne County: 7.9 %Tuolumne County7.9Fresno County: 7.9 %Fresno County7.9Trinity County: 7.5 %Trinity County7.5Modoc County: 7.5 %Modoc County7.5Shasta County: 7.4 %Shasta County7.4Siskiyou County: 7.2 %Siskiyou County7.2Calaveras County: 6.9 %Calaveras County6.9Sutter County: 6.7 %Sutter County6.7Del Norte County: 6.6 %Del Norte County6.6Plumas County: 6.6 %Plumas County6.6San Joaquin County: 6.5 %San Joaquin County6.5San Benito County: 6.2 %San Benito County6.2Kern County: 6.2 %Kern County6.2Amador County: 6.2 %Amador County6.2Lake County: 6.1 %Lake County6.1Yuba County: 5.9 %Yuba County5.9Stanislaus County: 5.6 %Stanislaus County5.6Madera County: 5.5 %Madera County5.5Tulare County: 5.5 %Tulare County5.5Tehama County: 4.9 %Tehama County4.9Kings County: 4.7 %Kings County4.7Merced County: 4.5 %Merced County4.5Imperial County: 4.1 %Imperial County4.1Glenn County: 3.4 %Glenn County3.4Colusa County: 3.4 %Colusa County3.4Lassen County: 3.1 %Lassen County3.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Santa Clara County27.2+0.6 pts
2Marin County27.1+0.8 pts
3San Francisco County24.7+0.6 pts
4San Mateo County23.5+0.4 pts
5Alameda County22.2+0.9 pts
6Yolo County20.9-0.1 pts
7Santa Cruz County17.9+0.1 pts
8Contra Costa County17.3+0.4 pts
9Alpine County16.4-2.3 pts
10San Diego County16.1+0.3 pts
11Orange County15.8+0.3 pts
12Placer County14.8+0.3 pts
13Sonoma County14.5+0.5 pts
14Santa Barbara County14.4+0.4 pts
15San Luis Obispo County14.1-0.1 pts
16Nevada County13.7-0.3 pts
17Napa County13.4+0.9 pts
18Ventura County12.9+0.4 pts
19El Dorado County12.7+0.6 pts
20Los Angeles County12.3+0.3 pts
21Sierra County12.1+1 pts
22Mono County12+1.8 pts
23Inyo County11.6+0.4 pts
24Sacramento County11.5+0.3 pts
25Monterey County10.8+0.2 pts
26Humboldt County10.8+0.2 pts
27Butte County10.6+0.4 pts
28Mendocino County9.6-0.2 pts
29Mariposa County9.4-0 pts
30Solano County8.9-0.1 pts
31Riverside County8.7+0.3 pts
32San Bernardino County7.9+0.4 pts
32Tuolumne County7.9-0.5 pts
34Fresno County7.9+0.3 pts
35Trinity County7.5+0.5 pts
36Modoc County7.5+1 pts
37Shasta County7.40 pts
38Siskiyou County7.2-0.1 pts
39Calaveras County6.9+0.9 pts
40Sutter County6.70 pts
41Del Norte County6.6+1 pts
42Plumas County6.6-1.6 pts
43San Joaquin County6.5+0.2 pts
44San Benito County6.2+1 pts
45Kern County6.2+0.2 pts
46Amador County6.2+0.2 pts
47Lake County6.1+0.3 pts
48Yuba County5.9-0.1 pts
49Stanislaus County5.60 pts
50Madera County5.5+0.7 pts
51Tulare County5.5+0.5 pts
52Tehama County4.9+0.4 pts
53Kings County4.7+0.1 pts
54Merced County4.5+0.1 pts
55Imperial County4.10 pts
56Glenn County3.4+0.7 pts
57Colusa County3.4-0.1 pts
58Lassen County3.1-0.1 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 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022. 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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022.

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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_california_by_2022,
  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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 California by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/california-counties?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in California 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?

Santa Clara County, with 27.2% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Lassen County, with 3.1% in 2022.

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 California: more rankings