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

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

Champaign County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 102 counties in 2021, at 24.8%. Brown County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 6.7% and the figure for Illinois was 14.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest24.8Champaign County
Lowest2.4Brown County
Median6.7102 counties
Illinois14.4History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 8.6 %Alexander County: 4.3 %Bond County: 8.5 %Boone County: 9.7 %Brown County: 2.4 %Bureau County: 7.1 %Calhoun County: 6.2 %Carroll County: 5.5 %Cass County: 4.6 %Champaign County: 24.8 %Christian County: 4.7 %Clark County: 8.1 %Clay County: 5.8 %Clinton County: 6.6 %Coles County: 10 %Cook County: 17 %Crawford County: 6.2 %Cumberland County: 6 %DeKalb County: 12.8 %De Witt County: 6.6 %Douglas County: 5.5 %DuPage County: 20.3 %Edgar County: 5.2 %Edwards County: 3.4 %Effingham County: 7.4 %Fayette County: 3.4 %Ford County: 8.7 %Franklin County: 4.9 %Fulton County: 5.5 %Gallatin County: 4.3 %Greene County: 5 %Grundy County: 9.2 %Hamilton County: 6.8 %Hancock County: 7.5 %Hardin County: 4.5 %Henderson County: 4.8 %Henry County: 8.1 %Iroquois County: 4.4 %Jackson County: 17.7 %Jasper County: 6.2 %Jefferson County: 6.4 %Jersey County: 8.5 %Jo Daviess County: 9.4 %Johnson County: 4.2 %Kane County: 12.9 %Kankakee County: 7.6 %Kendall County: 12 %Knox County: 6.6 %Lake County: 19.3 %LaSalle County: 6.3 %Lawrence County: 4.6 %Lee County: 6.4 %Livingston County: 5.6 %Logan County: 6.6 %McDonough County: 15.9 %McHenry County: 11.7 %McLean County: 15.4 %Macon County: 7.9 %Macoupin County: 5.4 %Madison County: 10.8 %Marion County: 5.2 %Marshall County: 5.6 %Mason County: 5.1 %Massac County: 3.7 %Menard County: 9.5 %Mercer County: 6.6 %Monroe County: 14 %Montgomery County: 6.7 %Morgan County: 6.7 %Moultrie County: 7.1 %Ogle County: 7.6 %Peoria County: 13.1 %Perry County: 3.5 %Piatt County: 10.1 %Pike County: 5.2 %Pope County: 4.5 %Pulaski County: 6.1 %Putnam County: 7.8 %Randolph County: 5.8 %Richland County: 6 %Rock Island County: 8.5 %St. Clair County: 12.3 %Saline County: 5.6 %Sangamon County: 13.4 %Schuyler County: 5.6 %Scott County: 5.5 %Shelby County: 5 %Stark County: 5.4 %Stephenson County: 7.2 %Tazewell County: 8.7 %Union County: 6.8 %Vermilion County: 5.7 %Wabash County: 7.1 %Warren County: 7.2 %Washington County: 8.3 %Wayne County: 4.9 %White County: 5.5 %Whiteside County: 7.2 %Will County: 12.8 %Williamson County: 10.5 %Winnebago County: 8.3 %Woodford County: 12.8 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 5.7
  • 5.7 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 8.1
  • 8.1 to 11
  • 11 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

Champaign County: 24.8 %Champaign County24.8DuPage County: 20.3 %DuPage County20.3Lake County: 19.3 %Lake County19.3Jackson County: 17.7 %Jackson County17.7Cook County: 17 %Cook County17McDonough County: 15.9 %McDonough County15.9McLean County: 15.4 %McLean County15.4Monroe County: 14 %Monroe County14Sangamon County: 13.4 %Sangamon County13.4Peoria County: 13.1 %Peoria County13.1Kane County: 12.9 %Kane County12.9Woodford County: 12.8 %Woodford County12.8Will County: 12.8 %Will County12.8DeKalb County: 12.8 %DeKalb County12.8St. Clair County: 12.3 %St. Clair County12.3Kendall County: 12 %Kendall County12McHenry County: 11.7 %McHenry County11.7Madison County: 10.8 %Madison County10.8Williamson County: 10.5 %Williamson County10.5Piatt County: 10.1 %Piatt County10.1Coles County: 10 %Coles County10Boone County: 9.7 %Boone County9.7Menard County: 9.5 %Menard County9.5Jo Daviess County: 9.4 %Jo Daviess County9.4Grundy County: 9.2 %Grundy County9.2Ford County: 8.7 %Ford County8.7Tazewell County: 8.7 %Tazewell County8.7Adams County: 8.6 %Adams County8.6Jersey County: 8.5 %Jersey County8.5Rock Island County: 8.5 %Rock Island County8.5Bond County: 8.5 %Bond County8.5Winnebago County: 8.3 %Winnebago County8.3Washington County: 8.3 %Washington County8.3Clark County: 8.1 %Clark County8.1Henry County: 8.1 %Henry County8.1Macon County: 7.9 %Macon County7.9Putnam County: 7.8 %Putnam County7.8Ogle County: 7.6 %Ogle County7.6Kankakee County: 7.6 %Kankakee County7.6Hancock County: 7.5 %Hancock County7.5Champaign County: 24.8 %Champaign County24.8DuPage County: 20.3 %DuPage County20.3Lake County: 19.3 %Lake County19.3Jackson County: 17.7 %Jackson County17.7Cook County: 17 %Cook County17McDonough County: 15.9 %McDonough County15.9McLean County: 15.4 %McLean County15.4Monroe County: 14 %Monroe County14Sangamon County: 13.4 %Sangamon County13.4Peoria County: 13.1 %Peoria County13.1Kane County: 12.9 %Kane County12.9Woodford County: 12.8 %Woodford County12.8Will County: 12.8 %Will County12.8DeKalb County: 12.8 %DeKalb County12.8St. Clair County: 12.3 %St. Clair County12.3Kendall County: 12 %Kendall County12McHenry County: 11.7 %McHenry County11.7Madison County: 10.8 %Madison County10.8Williamson County: 10.5 %Williamson County10.5Piatt County: 10.1 %Piatt County10.1Coles County: 10 %Coles County10Boone County: 9.7 %Boone County9.7Menard County: 9.5 %Menard County9.5Jo Daviess County: 9.4 %Jo Daviess County9.4Grundy County: 9.2 %Grundy County9.2Ford County: 8.7 %Ford County8.7Tazewell County: 8.7 %Tazewell County8.7Adams County: 8.6 %Adams County8.6Jersey County: 8.5 %Jersey County8.5Rock Island County: 8.5 %Rock Island County8.5Bond County: 8.5 %Bond County8.5Winnebago County: 8.3 %Winnebago County8.3Washington County: 8.3 %Washington County8.3Clark County: 8.1 %Clark County8.1Henry County: 8.1 %Henry County8.1Macon County: 7.9 %Macon County7.9Putnam County: 7.8 %Putnam County7.8Ogle County: 7.6 %Ogle County7.6Kankakee County: 7.6 %Kankakee County7.6Hancock County: 7.5 %Hancock County7.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Champaign County24.8
2DuPage County20.3
3Lake County19.3
4Jackson County17.7
5Cook County17
6McDonough County15.9
7McLean County15.4
8Monroe County14
9Sangamon County13.4
10Peoria County13.1
11Kane County12.9
12Woodford County12.8
13Will County12.8
14DeKalb County12.8
15St. Clair County12.3
16Kendall County12
17McHenry County11.7
18Madison County10.8
19Williamson County10.5
20Piatt County10.1
21Coles County10
22Boone County9.7
23Menard County9.5
24Jo Daviess County9.4
25Grundy County9.2
26Ford County8.7
26Tazewell County8.7
28Adams County8.6
29Jersey County8.5
30Rock Island County8.5
31Bond County8.5
32Winnebago County8.3
33Washington County8.3
34Clark County8.1
35Henry County8.1
36Macon County7.9
37Putnam County7.8
38Ogle County7.6
39Kankakee County7.6
40Hancock County7.5
41Effingham County7.4
42Whiteside County7.2
43Stephenson County7.2
44Warren County7.2
45Wabash County7.1
46Bureau County7.1
47Moultrie County7.1
48Union County6.8
49Hamilton County6.8
50Montgomery County6.7
51Morgan County6.7
52Logan County6.6
53De Witt County6.6
54Clinton County6.6
54Knox County6.6
56Mercer County6.6
57Jefferson County6.4
58Lee County6.4
59LaSalle County6.3
60Crawford County6.2
61Calhoun County6.2
62Jasper County6.2
63Pulaski County6.1
64Richland County6
65Cumberland County6
66Clay County5.8
66Randolph County5.8
68Vermilion County5.7
69Saline County5.6
70Livingston County5.6
71Schuyler County5.6
72Marshall County5.6
73Douglas County5.5
73White County5.5
75Carroll County5.5
76Fulton County5.5
77Scott County5.5
78Macoupin County5.4
79Stark County5.4
80Edgar County5.2
81Marion County5.2
82Pike County5.2
83Mason County5.1
84Greene County5
84Shelby County5
86Franklin County4.9
87Wayne County4.9
88Henderson County4.8
89Christian County4.7
90Cass County4.6
91Lawrence County4.6
92Hardin County4.5
93Pope County4.5
94Iroquois County4.4
95Alexander County4.3
96Gallatin County4.3
97Johnson County4.2
98Massac County3.7
99Perry County3.5
100Fayette County3.4
101Edwards County3.4
102Brown County2.4

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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_illinois_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 Illinois 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/illinois-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 Illinois 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/illinois-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/illinois-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  -
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.

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

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

Questions

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

Champaign County, with 24.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Brown County, with 2.4% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in Illinois: more rankings