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

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

Newton, MA had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 54 cities in 2023, at 52.4%. Lawrence, MA had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 14.4% and the figure for Massachusetts was 21.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest52.4Newton, MA
Lowest4.9Lawrence, MA
Median14.454 cities
Massachusetts21.4History

All cities, 2023

Newton, MA: 52.4 %Newton, MA52.4Amherst Town, MA: 52.1 %Amherst Town, MA52.1Cambridge, MA: 50.4 %Cambridge, MA50.4Northampton, MA: 34.1 %Northampton, MA34.1Somerville, MA: 33.4 %Somerville, MA33.4Newburyport, MA: 28.4 %Newburyport, MA28.4Melrose, MA: 28.3 %Melrose, MA28.3Waltham, MA: 27.4 %Waltham, MA27.4Medford, MA: 27.3 %Medford, MA27.3Boston, MA: 25.6 %Boston, MA25.6Franklin Town, MA: 24.4 %Franklin Town, MA24.4Salem, MA: 20.7 %Salem, MA20.7Quincy, MA: 20.7 %Quincy, MA20.7Framingham, MA: 20.5 %Framingham, MA20.5Beverly, MA: 20 %Beverly, MA20Woburn, MA: 19.9 %Woburn, MA19.9Braintree Town, MA: 19.7 %Braintree Town, MA19.7Malden, MA: 18.7 %Malden, MA18.7Barnstable Town, MA: 18 %Barnstable Town, MA18North Attleborough Town, MA: 17.4 %North Attleborough Town, MA17.4Marlborough, MA: 17.1 %Marlborough, MA17.1Greenfield, MA: 17 %Greenfield, MA17Bridgewater Town, MA: 16.1 %Bridgewater Town, MA16.1Winthrop Town, MA: 16 %Winthrop Town, MA16Gloucester, MA: 15.8 %Gloucester, MA15.8Weymouth Town, MA: 14.7 %Weymouth Town, MA14.7Agawam Town, MA: 14.4 %Agawam Town, MA14.4West Springfield Town, MA: 14.3 %West Springfield Town, MA14.3Worcester, MA: 14 %Worcester, MA14Pittsfield, MA: 13.8 %Pittsfield, MA13.8Leominster, MA: 12.6 %Leominster, MA12.6Randolph Town, MA: 12.1 %Randolph Town, MA12.1North Adams, MA: 11.9 %North Adams, MA11.9Lowell, MA: 11.9 %Lowell, MA11.9Westfield, MA: 11.6 %Westfield, MA11.6Peabody, MA: 11.6 %Peabody, MA11.6Attleboro, MA: 11.3 %Attleboro, MA11.3Haverhill, MA: 10.6 %Haverhill, MA10.6Springfield, MA: 8.9 %Springfield, MA8.9Holyoke, MA: 8.9 %Holyoke, MA8.9Chicopee, MA: 8.8 %Chicopee, MA8.8Palmer Town, MA: 8.6 %Palmer Town, MA8.6Revere, MA: 7.9 %Revere, MA7.9Lynn, MA: 7.8 %Lynn, MA7.8Chelsea, MA: 7.7 %Chelsea, MA7.7Fitchburg, MA: 7.5 %Fitchburg, MA7.5Taunton, MA: 7.3 %Taunton, MA7.3Everett, MA: 7.3 %Everett, MA7.3Gardner, MA: 7.1 %Gardner, MA7.1Brockton, MA: 6.7 %Brockton, MA6.7Fall River, MA: 5.7 %Fall River, MA5.7Southbridge Town, MA: 5.5 %Southbridge Town, MA5.5New Bedford, MA: 5.1 %New Bedford, MA5.1Lawrence, MA: 4.9 %Lawrence, MA4.9Newton, MA: 52.4 %Newton, MA52.4Amherst Town, MA: 52.1 %Amherst Town, MA52.1Cambridge, MA: 50.4 %Cambridge, MA50.4Northampton, MA: 34.1 %Northampton, MA34.1Somerville, MA: 33.4 %Somerville, MA33.4Newburyport, MA: 28.4 %Newburyport, MA28.4Melrose, MA: 28.3 %Melrose, MA28.3Waltham, MA: 27.4 %Waltham, MA27.4Medford, MA: 27.3 %Medford, MA27.3Boston, MA: 25.6 %Boston, MA25.6Franklin Town, MA: 24.4 %Franklin Town, MA24.4Salem, MA: 20.7 %Salem, MA20.7Quincy, MA: 20.7 %Quincy, MA20.7Framingham, MA: 20.5 %Framingham, MA20.5Beverly, MA: 20 %Beverly, MA20Woburn, MA: 19.9 %Woburn, MA19.9Braintree Town, MA: 19.7 %Braintree Town, MA19.7Malden, MA: 18.7 %Malden, MA18.7Barnstable Town, MA: 18 %Barnstable Town, MA18North Attleborough Town, MA: 17.4 %North Attleborough Town, MA17.4Marlborough, MA: 17.1 %Marlborough, MA17.1Greenfield, MA: 17 %Greenfield, MA17Bridgewater Town, MA: 16.1 %Bridgewater Town, MA16.1Winthrop Town, MA: 16 %Winthrop Town, MA16Gloucester, MA: 15.8 %Gloucester, MA15.8Weymouth Town, MA: 14.7 %Weymouth Town, MA14.7Agawam Town, MA: 14.4 %Agawam Town, MA14.4West Springfield Town, MA: 14.3 %West Springfield Town, MA14.3Worcester, MA: 14 %Worcester, MA14Pittsfield, MA: 13.8 %Pittsfield, MA13.8Leominster, MA: 12.6 %Leominster, MA12.6Randolph Town, MA: 12.1 %Randolph Town, MA12.1North Adams, MA: 11.9 %North Adams, MA11.9Lowell, MA: 11.9 %Lowell, MA11.9Westfield, MA: 11.6 %Westfield, MA11.6Peabody, MA: 11.6 %Peabody, MA11.6Attleboro, MA: 11.3 %Attleboro, MA11.3Haverhill, MA: 10.6 %Haverhill, MA10.6Springfield, MA: 8.9 %Springfield, MA8.9Holyoke, MA: 8.9 %Holyoke, MA8.9Chicopee, MA: 8.8 %Chicopee, MA8.8Palmer Town, MA: 8.6 %Palmer Town, MA8.6Revere, MA: 7.9 %Revere, MA7.9Lynn, MA: 7.8 %Lynn, MA7.8Chelsea, MA: 7.7 %Chelsea, MA7.7Fitchburg, MA: 7.5 %Fitchburg, MA7.5Taunton, MA: 7.3 %Taunton, MA7.3Everett, MA: 7.3 %Everett, MA7.3Gardner, MA: 7.1 %Gardner, MA7.1Brockton, MA: 6.7 %Brockton, MA6.7Fall River, MA: 5.7 %Fall River, MA5.7Southbridge Town, MA: 5.5 %Southbridge Town, MA5.5New Bedford, MA: 5.1 %New Bedford, MA5.1Lawrence, MA: 4.9 %Lawrence, MA4.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Newton, MA52.4+1.3 pts
2Amherst Town, MA52.1+3.4 pts
3Cambridge, MA50.4+0.8 pts
4Northampton, MA34.1-0.8 pts
5Somerville, MA33.4+1.4 pts
6Newburyport, MA28.4+0.6 pts
7Melrose, MA28.3+0.2 pts
8Waltham, MA27.4+0.3 pts
9Medford, MA27.3+1.7 pts
10Boston, MA25.6+0.5 pts
11Franklin Town, MA24.4-0.3 pts
12Salem, MA20.7+1 pts
13Quincy, MA20.7+1.1 pts
14Framingham, MA20.5-0.7 pts
15Beverly, MA20-0.2 pts
16Woburn, MA19.9-0.1 pts
17Braintree Town, MA19.7-0.4 pts
18Malden, MA18.7+0.4 pts
19Barnstable Town, MA18+1.1 pts
20North Attleborough Town, MA17.4+1.5 pts
21Marlborough, MA17.1+0.2 pts
22Greenfield, MA17+1.6 pts
23Bridgewater Town, MA16.1-0.2 pts
24Winthrop Town, MA16+0.4 pts
25Gloucester, MA15.8-0.5 pts
26Weymouth Town, MA14.7+0.8 pts
27Agawam Town, MA14.4+0.8 pts
28West Springfield Town, MA14.3+0.3 pts
29Worcester, MA14+0.5 pts
30Pittsfield, MA13.8-0.1 pts
31Leominster, MA12.6+0.6 pts
32Randolph Town, MA12.1-0.2 pts
33North Adams, MA11.9-0.1 pts
34Lowell, MA11.9+0.9 pts
35Westfield, MA11.60 pts
36Peabody, MA11.6-0.2 pts
37Attleboro, MA11.3+1.2 pts
38Haverhill, MA10.6+0.2 pts
39Springfield, MA8.9+0.4 pts
40Holyoke, MA8.9+0.7 pts
41Chicopee, MA8.8+0.6 pts
42Palmer Town, MA8.6+0.5 pts
43Revere, MA7.9-0.4 pts
44Lynn, MA7.8+0.5 pts
45Chelsea, MA7.7+1 pts
46Fitchburg, MA7.50 pts
47Taunton, MA7.3+0.3 pts
48Everett, MA7.3+0.1 pts
49Gardner, MA7.1+0.8 pts
50Brockton, MA6.7+0.1 pts
51Fall River, MA5.7+0.9 pts
52Southbridge Town, MA5.5+0.7 pts
53New Bedford, MA5.1+0.3 pts
54Lawrence, MA4.9+0.6 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. 4 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2023 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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/massachusetts-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 Massachusetts 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/massachusetts-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 Massachusetts 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/massachusetts-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_massachusetts_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 Massachusetts 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/massachusetts-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 Massachusetts 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/massachusetts-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/massachusetts-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  -
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 Cities in Massachusetts 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":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=graduate_degree_share&level=municipality&within=Massachusetts&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?

Newton, MA, with 52.4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Lawrence, MA, 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. 4 cities have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

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

Cities in Massachusetts: more rankings