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

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

Ames, IA had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 41 cities in 2023, at 30.9%. Muscatine, IA had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 10.7% and the figure for Iowa was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest30.9Ames, IA
Lowest4.9Muscatine, IA
Median10.741 cities
Iowa10.2History

All cities, 2023

Ames, IA: 30.9 %Ames, IA30.9Iowa City, IA: 29.6 %Iowa City, IA29.6Coralville, IA: 25 %Coralville, IA25Clive, IA: 24.8 %Clive, IA24.8Bettendorf, IA: 21.6 %Bettendorf, IA21.6Cedar Falls, IA: 21.3 %Cedar Falls, IA21.3Johnston, IA: 21.1 %Johnston, IA21.1North Liberty, IA: 20.1 %North Liberty, IA20.1West Des Moines, IA: 18.9 %West Des Moines, IA18.9Waukee, IA: 17.9 %Waukee, IA17.9Ankeny, IA: 17.5 %Ankeny, IA17.5Urbandale, IA: 17.5 %Urbandale, IA17.5Waverly, IA: 16.6 %Waverly, IA16.6Grimes, IA: 16.2 %Grimes, IA16.2Pella, IA: 15.7 %Pella, IA15.7Norwalk, IA: 12.6 %Norwalk, IA12.6Indianola, IA: 11.9 %Indianola, IA11.9Dubuque, IA: 11.7 %Dubuque, IA11.7Marion, IA: 11.5 %Marion, IA11.5Davenport, IA: 11.1 %Davenport, IA11.1Cedar Rapids, IA: 10.7 %Cedar Rapids, IA10.7Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.4 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.4Des Moines, IA: 9.1 %Des Moines, IA9.1Spencer, IA: 8.7 %Spencer, IA8.7Ottumwa, IA: 8.3 %Ottumwa, IA8.3Newton, IA: 8.1 %Newton, IA8.1Altoona, IA: 8 %Altoona, IA8Burlington, IA: 7.5 %Burlington, IA7.5Sioux City, IA: 7.4 %Sioux City, IA7.4Council Bluffs, IA: 7.2 %Council Bluffs, IA7.2Clinton, IA: 7.2 %Clinton, IA7.2Mason City, IA: 7.1 %Mason City, IA7.1Oskaloosa, IA: 7.1 %Oskaloosa, IA7.1Waterloo, IA: 7 %Waterloo, IA7Marshalltown, IA: 6.9 %Marshalltown, IA6.9Storm Lake, IA: 6.7 %Storm Lake, IA6.7Carroll, IA: 6.5 %Carroll, IA6.5Boone, IA: 6.1 %Boone, IA6.1Le Mars, IA: 5.5 %Le Mars, IA5.5Fort Dodge, IA: 5.1 %Fort Dodge, IA5.1Muscatine, IA: 4.9 %Muscatine, IA4.9Ames, IA: 30.9 %Ames, IA30.9Iowa City, IA: 29.6 %Iowa City, IA29.6Coralville, IA: 25 %Coralville, IA25Clive, IA: 24.8 %Clive, IA24.8Bettendorf, IA: 21.6 %Bettendorf, IA21.6Cedar Falls, IA: 21.3 %Cedar Falls, IA21.3Johnston, IA: 21.1 %Johnston, IA21.1North Liberty, IA: 20.1 %North Liberty, IA20.1West Des Moines, IA: 18.9 %West Des Moines, IA18.9Waukee, IA: 17.9 %Waukee, IA17.9Ankeny, IA: 17.5 %Ankeny, IA17.5Urbandale, IA: 17.5 %Urbandale, IA17.5Waverly, IA: 16.6 %Waverly, IA16.6Grimes, IA: 16.2 %Grimes, IA16.2Pella, IA: 15.7 %Pella, IA15.7Norwalk, IA: 12.6 %Norwalk, IA12.6Indianola, IA: 11.9 %Indianola, IA11.9Dubuque, IA: 11.7 %Dubuque, IA11.7Marion, IA: 11.5 %Marion, IA11.5Davenport, IA: 11.1 %Davenport, IA11.1Cedar Rapids, IA: 10.7 %Cedar Rapids, IA10.7Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.4 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.4Des Moines, IA: 9.1 %Des Moines, IA9.1Spencer, IA: 8.7 %Spencer, IA8.7Ottumwa, IA: 8.3 %Ottumwa, IA8.3Newton, IA: 8.1 %Newton, IA8.1Altoona, IA: 8 %Altoona, IA8Burlington, IA: 7.5 %Burlington, IA7.5Sioux City, IA: 7.4 %Sioux City, IA7.4Council Bluffs, IA: 7.2 %Council Bluffs, IA7.2Clinton, IA: 7.2 %Clinton, IA7.2Mason City, IA: 7.1 %Mason City, IA7.1Oskaloosa, IA: 7.1 %Oskaloosa, IA7.1Waterloo, IA: 7 %Waterloo, IA7Marshalltown, IA: 6.9 %Marshalltown, IA6.9Storm Lake, IA: 6.7 %Storm Lake, IA6.7Carroll, IA: 6.5 %Carroll, IA6.5Boone, IA: 6.1 %Boone, IA6.1Le Mars, IA: 5.5 %Le Mars, IA5.5Fort Dodge, IA: 5.1 %Fort Dodge, IA5.1Muscatine, IA: 4.9 %Muscatine, IA4.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Ames, IA30.9+0.3 pts
2Iowa City, IA29.6+0.2 pts
3Coralville, IA25-1.5 pts
4Clive, IA24.8+0.3 pts
5Bettendorf, IA21.6+0.5 pts
6Cedar Falls, IA21.3+0.6 pts
7Johnston, IA21.1+0.8 pts
8North Liberty, IA20.1-3.3 pts
9West Des Moines, IA18.9+0.6 pts
10Waukee, IA17.9+0.7 pts
11Ankeny, IA17.5+0.6 pts
11Urbandale, IA17.5-0.2 pts
13Waverly, IA16.6+1.8 pts
14Grimes, IA16.2+0.7 pts
15Pella, IA15.7-0.4 pts
16Norwalk, IA12.6-0.5 pts
17Indianola, IA11.9+1.1 pts
18Dubuque, IA11.7+0.1 pts
19Marion, IA11.5+1 pts
20Davenport, IA11.1+1.3 pts
21Cedar Rapids, IA10.7+0.3 pts
22Pleasant Hill, IA9.4+0.2 pts
23Des Moines, IA9.1+0.1 pts
24Spencer, IA8.7-0.1 pts
25Ottumwa, IA8.3+0.4 pts
26Newton, IA8.1+1.1 pts
27Altoona, IA8-0.8 pts
28Burlington, IA7.5-0.4 pts
29Sioux City, IA7.4-0.6 pts
30Council Bluffs, IA7.2+0.2 pts
31Clinton, IA7.2+1 pts
32Mason City, IA7.1-0 pts
32Oskaloosa, IA7.1+0.5 pts
34Waterloo, IA7-0.1 pts
35Marshalltown, IA6.9+0.6 pts
36Storm Lake, IA6.70 pts
37Carroll, IA6.5-0.6 pts
38Boone, IA6.1+1.1 pts
39Le Mars, IA5.5-2.1 pts
40Fort Dodge, IA5.1-0.4 pts
41Muscatine, IA4.9-0.1 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 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023. 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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023.

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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_iowa_by_2023,
  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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Iowa by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Ames, IA, with 30.9% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Muscatine, IA, with 4.9% in 2023.

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 Iowa: more rankings