Cities in Illinois by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2024

Winnetka, IL had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 225 cities in 2024, at 51.3%. Harvey, IL had the lowest, at 2%. The median was 12.9% and the figure for Illinois was 15.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest51.3Winnetka, IL

Lowest2Harvey, IL

Median12.9225 cities

Illinois15.3History

Top 40 cities, 2024

%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2024 (%)	Change on 2023
1	Winnetka, IL	51.3	+0.3 pts
2	Wilmette, IL	49.5	-0.5 pts
3	River Forest, IL	45.3	+1.9 pts
4	Hinsdale, IL	44.3	-0.9 pts
5	Lake Forest, IL	41.9	-1.3 pts
6	Deerfield, IL	41.3	+0.1 pts
7	Evanston, IL	39.7	-0.5 pts
8	Northbrook, IL	39.3	-0.7 pts
9	Highland Park, IL	39.1	+1.7 pts
10	Oak Park, IL	38.7	+0.1 pts
11	Burr Ridge, IL	36.5	+0.9 pts
12	Urbana, IL	36.4	-1.2 pts
13	Western Springs, IL	35.8	+1 pts
14	Naperville, IL	33.3	+0.4 pts
15	Glenview, IL	33.2	-0.5 pts
16	Buffalo Grove, IL	31.1	+1.9 pts
17	Glen Ellyn, IL	30.7	-0.5 pts
18	Vernon Hills, IL	30.7	-0.7 pts
19	Champaign, IL	30.2	-0.6 pts
19	Libertyville, IL	30.2	+0.2 pts
21	La Grange, IL	29.3	+1.2 pts
22	Elmhurst, IL	29.1	+0.5 pts
23	Frankfort, IL	28.3	+3.3 pts
24	Wheaton, IL	28.1	+1.3 pts
25	La Grange Park, IL	27.8	+0.7 pts
26	Campton Hills, IL	27.4	+3.8 pts
27	Park Ridge, IL	27.2	+0.4 pts
28	Arlington Heights, IL	26.3	+0.5 pts
29	Mahomet, IL	26.2	+1.3 pts
30	Barrington, IL	25.9	+0.1 pts
31	Lisle, IL	25.7	-0.7 pts
32	Downers Grove, IL	24.4	-0.3 pts
33	Winfield, IL	24.2	-0.8 pts
34	Geneva, IL	24.2	-1.1 pts
35	Edwardsville, IL	23.8	-0 pts
36	Grayslake, IL	23.7	+1.4 pts
37	Lake Zurich, IL	23.5	-0.4 pts
38	O'Fallon, IL	23.4	+0.1 pts
39	Carbondale, IL	23.3	-0.3 pts
40	Batavia, IL	23	-0.2 pts
41	Forest Park, IL	22.9	+0.5 pts
42	Lincolnwood, IL	22.8	-0 pts
43	Gurnee, IL	22.3	+1.1 pts
44	Chatham, IL	21.9	+2.9 pts
45	Morton Grove, IL	21.8	+1.5 pts
46	Skokie, IL	21.6	+1.4 pts
47	Homewood, IL	21.4	+2.1 pts
48	Shiloh, IL	21.2	+2 pts
49	Westmont, IL	21.2	+1.6 pts
50	St. Charles, IL	20.4	-0.5 pts
51	Darien, IL	20.3	+0.4 pts
52	Swansea, IL	20.3	+1 pts
53	Plainfield, IL	20.2	+1.3 pts
54	Macomb, IL	20.1	+1.8 pts
55	Sycamore, IL	19.9	+2.2 pts
56	Schaumburg, IL	19.7	-0.4 pts
57	Lemont, IL	19.6	+1.7 pts
58	Normal, IL	19.1	+0.7 pts
59	Matteson, IL	19.1	+0.5 pts
60	Chicago, IL	19	+0.5 pts
61	Palos Heights, IL	18.9	+1 pts
62	Orland Park, IL	18.8	+0.4 pts
63	Palatine, IL	18.8	+0.2 pts
64	Woodridge, IL	18.6	+0.6 pts
65	Glen Carbon, IL	18.3	-3.1 pts
66	Columbia, IL	18.2	-2.9 pts
67	Warrenville, IL	18	+0.8 pts
68	New Lenox, IL	17.9	+0.5 pts
69	Charleston, IL	17.6	+1.6 pts
70	Oswego, IL	17.6	+0.1 pts
71	Troy, IL	17.6	+2.2 pts
72	Hoffman Estates, IL	17.6	+0.8 pts
73	Mundelein, IL	17.5	+2.1 pts
74	Mount Prospect, IL	17.4	-0.1 pts
75	Bloomington, IL	16.9	+0.5 pts
76	Shorewood, IL	16.8	+0.5 pts
77	Roselle, IL	16.6	-0.2 pts
78	Brookfield, IL	16.3	+0.3 pts
79	Algonquin, IL	16.3	+0.3 pts
80	Lockport, IL	16.2	+1.1 pts
81	Lombard, IL	16.2	-0 pts
82	Cary, IL	16.1	-0.7 pts
83	Huntley, IL	16	+1 pts
84	Washington, IL	16	+0.6 pts
85	Mokena, IL	15.8	-0.6 pts
86	Bloomingdale, IL	15.8	+0.7 pts
87	Peoria, IL	15.7	-0.6 pts
88	Morton, IL	15.7	+2.2 pts
89	Bartlett, IL	15.6	+1.7 pts
90	Springfield, IL	15.6	+0.7 pts
91	Wauconda, IL	15.5	0 pts
92	Westchester, IL	15.3	+1.4 pts
93	Rolling Meadows, IL	15.2	+1.5 pts
94	Fairview Heights, IL	15.1	+0.6 pts
95	Tinley Park, IL	15	-0.3 pts
96	Lindenhurst, IL	14.9	-0.2 pts
97	Aurora, IL	14.8	+0.1 pts
98	Homer Glen, IL	14.7	+2 pts
99	Bolingbrook, IL	14.7	+0.7 pts
100	Evergreen Park, IL	14.5	-1.5 pts
101	DeKalb, IL	14.1	-0.2 pts
102	South Elgin, IL	14	+0.5 pts
103	North Aurora, IL	13.9	-0.4 pts
104	Waterloo, IL	13.8	+1 pts
105	Crystal Lake, IL	13.8	+0.6 pts
106	Des Plaines, IL	13.7	+0.1 pts
107	Wheeling, IL	13.7	+0.2 pts
108	Carol Stream, IL	13.4	-0.2 pts
109	Elmwood Park, IL	13.3	+1.1 pts
110	Antioch, IL	13.3	+0.5 pts
111	West Chicago, IL	13.2	+0.4 pts
112	Richton Park, IL	12.9	+1 pts
113	Bourbonnais, IL	12.9	-0.2 pts
114	Elk Grove Village, IL	12.8	-0.5 pts
115	Prospect Heights, IL	12.7	+0.5 pts
116	Hazel Crest, IL	12.5	-0.5 pts
117	Belleville, IL	12.4	-0.4 pts
118	Highland, IL	12.1	+1.1 pts
119	Marion, IL	11.9	+0.6 pts
120	Niles, IL	11.8	+0.3 pts
121	Effingham, IL	11.7	+1.6 pts
122	Villa Park, IL	11.6	-0.3 pts
123	Roscoe, IL	11.5	-0.2 pts
124	South Holland, IL	11.4	-0 pts
125	Collinsville, IL	11.4	+1 pts
126	Lansing, IL	11.3	+0.2 pts
127	Woodstock, IL	11.3	-1.7 pts
128	Palos Hills, IL	11.2	+2 pts
129	Manhattan, IL	11.2	+2.1 pts
130	Channahon, IL	11.1	+0.9 pts
131	Hickory Hills, IL	11.1	+1.4 pts
132	Pingree Grove, IL	11.1	+1.6 pts
133	Lake in the Hills, IL	11	+0.7 pts
134	Oak Lawn, IL	10.7	+1.1 pts
135	Norridge, IL	10.5	+1 pts
136	Moline, IL	10.4	+0.3 pts
137	Rock Island, IL	10.4	+0.7 pts
138	Loves Park, IL	10.4	+0.3 pts
139	Oak Forest, IL	10.1	+0.7 pts
140	Godfrey, IL	10.1	-1.5 pts
141	Round Lake, IL	10	-1 pts
142	Joliet, IL	10	+0.9 pts
143	Romeoville, IL	9.7	+3.5 pts
144	Quincy, IL	9.6	+0.4 pts
145	Herrin, IL	9.5	+0.3 pts
146	Elgin, IL	9.4	+0.3 pts
147	Crest Hill, IL	9.4	+1.3 pts
148	Justice, IL	9.2	+3.3 pts
149	Danville, IL	9.2	+0.4 pts
150	Sterling, IL	9.1	+0.5 pts
151	Rockford, IL	9	+0.6 pts
152	Park Forest, IL	8.8	-1.8 pts
153	Country Club Hills, IL	8.7	+1.2 pts
154	Hanover Park, IL	8.6	-0.4 pts
155	East Peoria, IL	8.6	-0.4 pts
156	Morris, IL	8.5	-0.6 pts
157	Minooka, IL	8.5	-0.1 pts
158	Chicago Ridge, IL	8.4	+0.8 pts
159	Yorkville, IL	8.4	-1 pts
160	Lincoln, IL	8.3	+1.1 pts
161	Galesburg, IL	8.3	+0.5 pts
162	Alton, IL	8.2	+0.6 pts
163	Wood Dale, IL	8.2	+1.3 pts
164	Streamwood, IL	8.2	-0.4 pts
165	Bradley, IL	8.1	+0.9 pts
166	Berwyn, IL	8	-0.4 pts
167	Fox Lake, IL	8	+0.6 pts
168	Beach Park, IL	7.8	+1.9 pts
169	Decatur, IL	7.7	+0.3 pts
170	McHenry, IL	7.7	+0.8 pts
171	Lyons, IL	7.6	+1.9 pts
172	North Chicago, IL	7.6	+1.6 pts
173	Crestwood, IL	7.6	+0.2 pts
174	Carpentersville, IL	7.5	+0.2 pts
175	Blue Island, IL	7.4	-0.1 pts
176	Riverdale, IL	7.4	+0.3 pts
177	Dolton, IL	7.2	-0.4 pts
178	Glendale Heights, IL	7.2	-0.1 pts
179	Waukegan, IL	7.2	+0.4 pts
180	Calumet City, IL	7.1	+0.6 pts
181	Midlothian, IL	6.9	+0.1 pts
182	Alsip, IL	6.9	-1.2 pts
183	Mattoon, IL	6.9	-0.3 pts
184	Maywood, IL	6.8	-0.1 pts
185	Mount Vernon, IL	6.8	-0.3 pts
186	Ottawa, IL	6.6	+0.4 pts
187	Centralia, IL	6.5	-0.3 pts
187	East Moline, IL	6.5	-0.3 pts
189	Jacksonville, IL	6.4	+0.5 pts
190	Canton, IL	6.3	+0.1 pts
191	Chicago Heights, IL	6.3	+0.2 pts
192	Addison, IL	6.2	0 pts
193	Pontiac, IL	6.2	-0.7 pts
194	Freeport, IL	6.2	-1.1 pts
195	East St. Louis, IL	6	+0.3 pts
196	Schiller Park, IL	6	-0.1 pts
197	Machesney Park, IL	5.9	+1 pts
198	Kewanee, IL	5.9	+1.2 pts
199	Pekin, IL	5.8	-0.2 pts
200	Plano, IL	5.7	+0.1 pts
201	Dixon, IL	5.6	-0.5 pts
202	Montgomery, IL	5.6	-3.7 pts
203	River Grove, IL	5.6	+0.6 pts
204	Melrose Park, IL	5.5	+1.3 pts
205	Kankakee, IL	5.4	+0.2 pts
205	Wood River, IL	5.4	-0.7 pts
207	Bridgeview, IL	5.3	+0.5 pts
208	Markham, IL	5.1	+2.2 pts
209	Cahokia Heights, IL	5	-0.4 pts
210	Zion, IL	4.9	-0 pts
211	Belvidere, IL	4.9	+0.1 pts
211	Rantoul, IL	4.9	-0.5 pts
213	Taylorville, IL	4.9	-1 pts
214	Franklin Park, IL	4.6	+0.6 pts
215	Bensenville, IL	4.6	-0.6 pts
216	Burbank, IL	4.6	+0.4 pts
217	Bellwood, IL	4.3	+0.6 pts
218	Granite City, IL	4.3	+0.1 pts
219	Round Lake Beach, IL	3.9	-0.7 pts
219	Worth, IL	3.9	-0.2 pts
221	Northlake, IL	3.7	+0.3 pts
222	Streator, IL	3.4	+0.3 pts
223	Cicero, IL	3.3	+0.2 pts
224	Summit, IL	3	+0.8 pts
225	Harvey, IL	2	-0.4 pts

Other periods

2024
2023
2022
2021

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

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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/illinois-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  -

Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Embed code

<iframe src="https://invokely.ai/embed/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/illinois-cities" width="760" height="500" title="Cities in Illinois by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2024, chart from Invokely" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

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 Illinois 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":"Illinois","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=graduate_degree_share&level=municipality&within=Illinois&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Winnetka, IL, with 51.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Harvey, IL, with 2% 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.