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

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

Johnson County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 99 counties in 2023, at 24%. Louisa County had the lowest, at 2.6%. The median was 6% and the figure for Iowa was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest24Johnson County
Lowest2.6Louisa County
Median699 counties
Iowa10.2History

Map of counties, 2023

Adair County: 5.1 %Adams County: 4.7 %Allamakee County: 6 %Appanoose County: 4.1 %Audubon County: 4.5 %Benton County: 8 %Black Hawk County: 10.8 %Boone County: 9.1 %Bremer County: 11.1 %Buchanan County: 6.5 %Buena Vista County: 7 %Butler County: 4.8 %Calhoun County: 6.5 %Carroll County: 5.6 %Cass County: 5.6 %Cedar County: 5.7 %Cerro Gordo County: 7.9 %Cherokee County: 7.3 %Chickasaw County: 4.9 %Clarke County: 5.3 %Clay County: 7.4 %Clayton County: 4.2 %Clinton County: 6.5 %Crawford County: 3.9 %Dallas County: 17.5 %Davis County: 5.1 %Decatur County: 10.1 %Delaware County: 6 %Des Moines County: 8 %Dickinson County: 8.3 %Dubuque County: 11.2 %Emmet County: 4.3 %Fayette County: 5.5 %Floyd County: 5.3 %Franklin County: 4.7 %Fremont County: 3.9 %Greene County: 5.1 %Grundy County: 6.3 %Guthrie County: 7.8 %Hamilton County: 5.9 %Hancock County: 4.4 %Hardin County: 5.7 %Harrison County: 5.6 %Henry County: 7.2 %Howard County: 3.8 %Humboldt County: 4.5 %Ida County: 4.5 %Iowa County: 6.8 %Jackson County: 4.5 %Jasper County: 6.6 %Jefferson County: 18.3 %Johnson County: 24 %Jones County: 6.4 %Keokuk County: 4.5 %Kossuth County: 5.9 %Lee County: 5.4 %Linn County: 11.3 %Louisa County: 2.6 %Lucas County: 4.6 %Lyon County: 3.9 %Madison County: 6.2 %Mahaska County: 6 %Marion County: 10.1 %Marshall County: 6.8 %Mills County: 9.8 %Mitchell County: 6.1 %Monona County: 6 %Monroe County: 5 %Montgomery County: 5 %Muscatine County: 6.7 %O'Brien County: 5 %Osceola County: 4.4 %Page County: 5.8 %Palo Alto County: 5 %Plymouth County: 5.5 %Pocahontas County: 3.7 %Polk County: 12.8 %Pottawattamie County: 7.5 %Poweshiek County: 11.6 %Ringgold County: 6.3 %Sac County: 5.2 %Scott County: 13.7 %Shelby County: 7.3 %Sioux County: 8.9 %Story County: 22.8 %Tama County: 5.7 %Taylor County: 3.7 %Union County: 6.8 %Van Buren County: 5.9 %Wapello County: 7.7 %Warren County: 10.1 %Washington County: 8.5 %Wayne County: 4.6 %Webster County: 5.2 %Winnebago County: 6.3 %Winneshiek County: 10.3 %Woodbury County: 7.8 %Worth County: 5.3 %Wright County: 5.3 %
  • Under 4.5
  • 4.5 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 6
  • 6 to 6.8
  • 6.8 to 9
  • 9 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Johnson County: 24 %Johnson County24Story County: 22.8 %Story County22.8Jefferson County: 18.3 %Jefferson County18.3Dallas County: 17.5 %Dallas County17.5Scott County: 13.7 %Scott County13.7Polk County: 12.8 %Polk County12.8Poweshiek County: 11.6 %Poweshiek County11.6Linn County: 11.3 %Linn County11.3Dubuque County: 11.2 %Dubuque County11.2Bremer County: 11.1 %Bremer County11.1Black Hawk County: 10.8 %Black Hawk County10.8Winneshiek County: 10.3 %Winneshiek County10.3Decatur County: 10.1 %Decatur County10.1Marion County: 10.1 %Marion County10.1Warren County: 10.1 %Warren County10.1Mills County: 9.8 %Mills County9.8Boone County: 9.1 %Boone County9.1Sioux County: 8.9 %Sioux County8.9Washington County: 8.5 %Washington County8.5Dickinson County: 8.3 %Dickinson County8.3Des Moines County: 8 %Des Moines County8Benton County: 8 %Benton County8Cerro Gordo County: 7.9 %Cerro Gordo County7.9Guthrie County: 7.8 %Guthrie County7.8Woodbury County: 7.8 %Woodbury County7.8Wapello County: 7.7 %Wapello County7.7Pottawattamie County: 7.5 %Pottawattamie County7.5Clay County: 7.4 %Clay County7.4Shelby County: 7.3 %Shelby County7.3Cherokee County: 7.3 %Cherokee County7.3Henry County: 7.2 %Henry County7.2Buena Vista County: 7 %Buena Vista County7Marshall County: 6.8 %Marshall County6.8Union County: 6.8 %Union County6.8Iowa County: 6.8 %Iowa County6.8Muscatine County: 6.7 %Muscatine County6.7Jasper County: 6.6 %Jasper County6.6Calhoun County: 6.5 %Calhoun County6.5Clinton County: 6.5 %Clinton County6.5Buchanan County: 6.5 %Buchanan County6.5Johnson County: 24 %Johnson County24Story County: 22.8 %Story County22.8Jefferson County: 18.3 %Jefferson County18.3Dallas County: 17.5 %Dallas County17.5Scott County: 13.7 %Scott County13.7Polk County: 12.8 %Polk County12.8Poweshiek County: 11.6 %Poweshiek County11.6Linn County: 11.3 %Linn County11.3Dubuque County: 11.2 %Dubuque County11.2Bremer County: 11.1 %Bremer County11.1Black Hawk County: 10.8 %Black Hawk County10.8Winneshiek County: 10.3 %Winneshiek County10.3Decatur County: 10.1 %Decatur County10.1Marion County: 10.1 %Marion County10.1Warren County: 10.1 %Warren County10.1Mills County: 9.8 %Mills County9.8Boone County: 9.1 %Boone County9.1Sioux County: 8.9 %Sioux County8.9Washington County: 8.5 %Washington County8.5Dickinson County: 8.3 %Dickinson County8.3Des Moines County: 8 %Des Moines County8Benton County: 8 %Benton County8Cerro Gordo County: 7.9 %Cerro Gordo County7.9Guthrie County: 7.8 %Guthrie County7.8Woodbury County: 7.8 %Woodbury County7.8Wapello County: 7.7 %Wapello County7.7Pottawattamie County: 7.5 %Pottawattamie County7.5Clay County: 7.4 %Clay County7.4Shelby County: 7.3 %Shelby County7.3Cherokee County: 7.3 %Cherokee County7.3Henry County: 7.2 %Henry County7.2Buena Vista County: 7 %Buena Vista County7Marshall County: 6.8 %Marshall County6.8Union County: 6.8 %Union County6.8Iowa County: 6.8 %Iowa County6.8Muscatine County: 6.7 %Muscatine County6.7Jasper County: 6.6 %Jasper County6.6Calhoun County: 6.5 %Calhoun County6.5Clinton County: 6.5 %Clinton County6.5Buchanan County: 6.5 %Buchanan County6.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Johnson County24-0.7 pts
2Story County22.8+0.4 pts
3Jefferson County18.3+1.4 pts
4Dallas County17.5+0.7 pts
5Scott County13.7+1 pts
6Polk County12.8+0.4 pts
7Poweshiek County11.6-1 pts
8Linn County11.3+0.5 pts
9Dubuque County11.2+0.5 pts
10Bremer County11.1+0.3 pts
11Black Hawk County10.8+0.3 pts
12Winneshiek County10.3-0.7 pts
13Decatur County10.1-0.4 pts
14Marion County10.1-0.3 pts
15Warren County10.1+0.2 pts
16Mills County9.8+0.2 pts
17Boone County9.1+1.9 pts
18Sioux County8.9-0 pts
19Washington County8.5+0.3 pts
20Dickinson County8.3+0.2 pts
21Des Moines County8-0 pts
22Benton County8+0.8 pts
23Cerro Gordo County7.9+0.3 pts
24Guthrie County7.8+1.5 pts
25Woodbury County7.8-0.3 pts
26Wapello County7.7+0.8 pts
27Pottawattamie County7.5+0.2 pts
28Clay County7.4-0.3 pts
29Shelby County7.3+0.9 pts
30Cherokee County7.3-0.1 pts
31Henry County7.2+0.3 pts
32Buena Vista County7-0.2 pts
33Marshall County6.8+0.7 pts
34Union County6.80 pts
35Iowa County6.8+0.3 pts
36Muscatine County6.7-0.2 pts
37Jasper County6.6+0.7 pts
38Calhoun County6.5+0.3 pts
39Clinton County6.5-0.1 pts
40Buchanan County6.5+0.3 pts
41Jones County6.4-0.6 pts
42Ringgold County6.3-0.5 pts
43Winnebago County6.30 pts
44Grundy County6.3-0.3 pts
45Madison County6.2-0.3 pts
46Mitchell County6.1+0.4 pts
47Monona County6+1.5 pts
48Delaware County6+1 pts
48Mahaska County6+0.3 pts
50Allamakee County6+1.1 pts
51Van Buren County5.90 pts
52Kossuth County5.9+0.5 pts
53Hamilton County5.9+1 pts
54Page County5.8+0.3 pts
55Hardin County5.7-0.1 pts
56Tama County5.7+0.2 pts
57Cedar County5.7-0 pts
58Harrison County5.6+0.1 pts
59Cass County5.6-0 pts
60Carroll County5.6-0.1 pts
61Plymouth County5.5-0.6 pts
62Fayette County5.5+0.7 pts
63Lee County5.4-0.4 pts
64Worth County5.3-0.5 pts
64Wright County5.3+1 pts
66Clarke County5.3-0.3 pts
67Floyd County5.3+0.2 pts
68Sac County5.2-0.4 pts
69Webster County5.2-0.2 pts
70Davis County5.1-0.1 pts
70Greene County5.1-0.2 pts
72Adair County5.1+0.4 pts
73Monroe County5+0.9 pts
73Palo Alto County5-0.6 pts
75Montgomery County5-0.1 pts
76O'Brien County5+0.4 pts
77Chickasaw County4.9+0.3 pts
78Butler County4.8+0.7 pts
79Adams County4.7-0 pts
80Franklin County4.7+1.3 pts
81Wayne County4.6+0.8 pts
82Lucas County4.6+0.4 pts
83Jackson County4.5-0.6 pts
84Ida County4.5+0.1 pts
85Keokuk County4.5-0.2 pts
86Audubon County4.5-1.2 pts
87Humboldt County4.5+0.6 pts
88Osceola County4.4+0.1 pts
89Hancock County4.4+0.6 pts
90Emmet County4.3+0.1 pts
91Clayton County4.2-0.2 pts
92Appanoose County4.1-0.6 pts
93Crawford County3.9+0.4 pts
94Fremont County3.9+0.9 pts
95Lyon County3.9-0.3 pts
96Howard County3.80 pts
97Taylor County3.7-0 pts
98Pocahontas County3.7-0.4 pts
99Louisa County2.6-0.4 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/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 (Counties 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, Counties 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-counties?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. Counties 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-counties?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, Counties 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-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-counties?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. 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: Counties 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-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/iowa-counties?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. 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 Counties in Iowa 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?

Johnson County, with 24% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Louisa County, with 2.6% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in Iowa: more rankings