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

Boone County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 115 counties in 2023, at 22.6%. Hickory County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 6.6% and the figure for Missouri was 12.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest22.6Boone County
Median6.6115 counties
Missouri12.3History

Map of counties, 2023

Adair County: 18.9 %Andrew County: 10.1 %Atchison County: 6 %Audrain County: 5.8 %Barry County: 4.3 %Barton County: 4.5 %Bates County: 5.8 %Benton County: 6.9 %Bollinger County: 5.9 %Boone County: 22.6 %Buchanan County: 7.4 %Butler County: 5.3 %Caldwell County: 5.9 %Callaway County: 8.2 %Camden County: 8.6 %Cape Girardeau County: 12.2 %Carroll County: 7.9 %Carter County: 6.3 %Cass County: 10 %Cedar County: 6.8 %Chariton County: 6.9 %Christian County: 12.5 %Clark County: 3.5 %Clay County: 12.4 %Clinton County: 7.8 %Cole County: 13.8 %Cooper County: 8.3 %Crawford County: 3.8 %Dade County: 3.8 %Dallas County: 7.3 %Daviess County: 7.5 %DeKalb County: 4.6 %Dent County: 6.9 %Douglas County: 4.7 %Dunklin County: 6.4 %Franklin County: 7.9 %Gasconade County: 5.9 %Gentry County: 7.1 %Greene County: 12 %Grundy County: 5.3 %Harrison County: 6.8 %Henry County: 5.8 %Hickory County: 3.1 %Holt County: 7.1 %Howard County: 11.4 %Howell County: 6.6 %Iron County: 6.8 %Jackson County: 12.4 %Jasper County: 7.9 %Jefferson County: 7.6 %Johnson County: 11.8 %Knox County: 7.2 %Laclede County: 5.4 %Lafayette County: 8 %Lawrence County: 5.9 %Lewis County: 5.1 %Lincoln County: 5 %Linn County: 7.5 %Livingston County: 6.6 %McDonald County: 4.3 %Macon County: 5.6 %Madison County: 4.8 %Maries County: 7.1 %Marion County: 9.9 %Mercer County: 4.6 %Miller County: 7.1 %Mississippi County: 4.4 %Moniteau County: 5.5 %Monroe County: 4.1 %Montgomery County: 4.8 %Morgan County: 5 %New Madrid County: 6.3 %Newton County: 8.1 %Nodaway County: 10.5 %Oregon County: 7 %Osage County: 7 %Ozark County: 5.2 %Pemiscot County: 4.3 %Perry County: 6.3 %Pettis County: 7.6 %Phelps County: 15.1 %Pike County: 6.2 %Platte County: 17.4 %Polk County: 8.5 %Pulaski County: 10 %Putnam County: 5.7 %Ralls County: 6.1 %Randolph County: 4.2 %Ray County: 3.8 %Reynolds County: 3.5 %Ripley County: 4 %St. Charles County: 15.6 %St. Clair County: 4 %Ste. Genevieve County: 7.2 %St. Francois County: 6.2 %St. Louis County: 20.4 %Saline County: 9.2 %Schuyler County: 3.4 %Scotland County: 5.2 %Scott County: 7.2 %Shannon County: 5.4 %Shelby County: 5.4 %Stoddard County: 5.4 %Stone County: 7.3 %Sullivan County: 5.6 %Taney County: 8.4 %Texas County: 6.9 %Vernon County: 6.9 %Warren County: 5.5 %Washington County: 4.1 %Wayne County: 3.4 %Webster County: 6 %Worth County: 5 %Wright County: 5.6 %St. Louis city: 18.2 %
  • Under 4.6
  • 4.6 to 5.6
  • 5.6 to 6.6
  • 6.6 to 7.3
  • 7.3 to 9.9
  • 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

Boone County: 22.6 %Boone County22.6St. Louis County: 20.4 %St. Louis County20.4Adair County: 18.9 %Adair County18.9St. Louis city: 18.2 %St. Louis city18.2Platte County: 17.4 %Platte County17.4St. Charles County: 15.6 %St. Charles County15.6Phelps County: 15.1 %Phelps County15.1Cole County: 13.8 %Cole County13.8Christian County: 12.5 %Christian County12.5Jackson County: 12.4 %Jackson County12.4Clay County: 12.4 %Clay County12.4Cape Girardeau County: 12.2 %Cape Girardeau County12.2Greene County: 12 %Greene County12Johnson County: 11.8 %Johnson County11.8Howard County: 11.4 %Howard County11.4Nodaway County: 10.5 %Nodaway County10.5Andrew County: 10.1 %Andrew County10.1Pulaski County: 10 %Pulaski County10Cass County: 10 %Cass County10Marion County: 9.9 %Marion County9.9Saline County: 9.2 %Saline County9.2Camden County: 8.6 %Camden County8.6Polk County: 8.5 %Polk County8.5Taney County: 8.4 %Taney County8.4Cooper County: 8.3 %Cooper County8.3Callaway County: 8.2 %Callaway County8.2Newton County: 8.1 %Newton County8.1Lafayette County: 8 %Lafayette County8Franklin County: 7.9 %Franklin County7.9Carroll County: 7.9 %Carroll County7.9Jasper County: 7.9 %Jasper County7.9Clinton County: 7.8 %Clinton County7.8Pettis County: 7.6 %Pettis County7.6Jefferson County: 7.6 %Jefferson County7.6Daviess County: 7.5 %Daviess County7.5Linn County: 7.5 %Linn County7.5Buchanan County: 7.4 %Buchanan County7.4Stone County: 7.3 %Stone County7.3Dallas County: 7.3 %Dallas County7.3Scott County: 7.2 %Scott County7.2Boone County: 22.6 %Boone County22.6St. Louis County: 20.4 %St. Louis County20.4Adair County: 18.9 %Adair County18.9St. Louis city: 18.2 %St. Louis city18.2Platte County: 17.4 %Platte County17.4St. Charles County: 15.6 %St. Charles County15.6Phelps County: 15.1 %Phelps County15.1Cole County: 13.8 %Cole County13.8Christian County: 12.5 %Christian County12.5Jackson County: 12.4 %Jackson County12.4Clay County: 12.4 %Clay County12.4Cape Girardeau County: 12.2 %Cape Girardeau County12.2Greene County: 12 %Greene County12Johnson County: 11.8 %Johnson County11.8Howard County: 11.4 %Howard County11.4Nodaway County: 10.5 %Nodaway County10.5Andrew County: 10.1 %Andrew County10.1Pulaski County: 10 %Pulaski County10Cass County: 10 %Cass County10Marion County: 9.9 %Marion County9.9Saline County: 9.2 %Saline County9.2Camden County: 8.6 %Camden County8.6Polk County: 8.5 %Polk County8.5Taney County: 8.4 %Taney County8.4Cooper County: 8.3 %Cooper County8.3Callaway County: 8.2 %Callaway County8.2Newton County: 8.1 %Newton County8.1Lafayette County: 8 %Lafayette County8Franklin County: 7.9 %Franklin County7.9Carroll County: 7.9 %Carroll County7.9Jasper County: 7.9 %Jasper County7.9Clinton County: 7.8 %Clinton County7.8Pettis County: 7.6 %Pettis County7.6Jefferson County: 7.6 %Jefferson County7.6Daviess County: 7.5 %Daviess County7.5Linn County: 7.5 %Linn County7.5Buchanan County: 7.4 %Buchanan County7.4Stone County: 7.3 %Stone County7.3Dallas County: 7.3 %Dallas County7.3Scott County: 7.2 %Scott County7.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Boone County22.6+0.7 pts
2St. Louis County20.4+0.5 pts
3Adair County18.9-0.1 pts
4St. Louis city18.2+1.1 pts
5Platte County17.4+0.6 pts
6St. Charles County15.6+0.1 pts
7Phelps County15.1-0.1 pts
8Cole County13.8+1 pts
9Christian County12.5-0.3 pts
10Jackson County12.4+0.2 pts
11Clay County12.4+0.4 pts
12Cape Girardeau County12.20 pts
13Greene County120 pts
14Johnson County11.8-0.6 pts
15Howard County11.40 pts
16Nodaway County10.5+0.2 pts
17Andrew County10.1+0.5 pts
18Pulaski County10+0.2 pts
19Cass County10+0.6 pts
20Marion County9.9+0.2 pts
21Saline County9.2+1.1 pts
22Camden County8.6+0.8 pts
23Polk County8.5+1 pts
24Taney County8.4+1.5 pts
25Cooper County8.3+0.6 pts
26Callaway County8.2-0.5 pts
27Newton County8.1+0.7 pts
28Lafayette County8-0.5 pts
29Franklin County7.9+0.2 pts
30Carroll County7.9+0.5 pts
31Jasper County7.9+0.2 pts
32Clinton County7.8+1.3 pts
33Pettis County7.6-0 pts
34Jefferson County7.6+0.1 pts
35Daviess County7.5+0.1 pts
36Linn County7.5+0.6 pts
37Buchanan County7.4+0.3 pts
38Stone County7.3+0.6 pts
39Dallas County7.3+1 pts
40Scott County7.2+0.2 pts
41Ste. Genevieve County7.2+0.2 pts
42Knox County7.2+1 pts
43Maries County7.1+0.3 pts
44Gentry County7.1+0.2 pts
44Miller County7.1+0.8 pts
46Holt County7.1-0.7 pts
47Osage County7+1.5 pts
48Oregon County7+0.8 pts
49Benton County6.9+0.2 pts
49Chariton County6.9-0.8 pts
49Vernon County6.9+0.1 pts
52Dent County6.9+0.4 pts
53Texas County6.9+0.3 pts
54Iron County6.8-0.5 pts
55Cedar County6.8-0.5 pts
55Harrison County6.8+1.2 pts
57Howell County6.6-0.7 pts
58Livingston County6.6-1 pts
59Dunklin County6.40 pts
60Carter County6.3+0.9 pts
61New Madrid County6.3+0.1 pts
62Perry County6.3+0.3 pts
63Pike County6.2+1.3 pts
63St. Francois County6.2-0.5 pts
65Ralls County6.1+1.7 pts
66Atchison County6+0.5 pts
67Webster County6-0.2 pts
68Bollinger County5.9+1.3 pts
68Caldwell County5.9+0.3 pts
68Lawrence County5.9+1.4 pts
71Gasconade County5.9-0.7 pts
72Audrain County5.8+0.7 pts
73Henry County5.8-0.6 pts
74Bates County5.8+1.1 pts
75Putnam County5.7+0.2 pts
76Macon County5.6+0.7 pts
77Sullivan County5.6+0.4 pts
78Wright County5.6+0.8 pts
79Moniteau County5.5+0.1 pts
79Warren County5.5+0.4 pts
81Shannon County5.4-1.2 pts
82Stoddard County5.4+0.8 pts
83Laclede County5.4+0.2 pts
84Shelby County5.4+0.3 pts
85Grundy County5.3+0.8 pts
86Butler County5.3+0.2 pts
87Scotland County5.2+0.4 pts
88Ozark County5.2+1.4 pts
89Lewis County5.1+0.6 pts
90Worth County5+0.1 pts
91Lincoln County5-0.2 pts
91Morgan County5+0.2 pts
93Madison County4.8-1.1 pts
93Montgomery County4.8-0.6 pts
95Douglas County4.7-0.1 pts
96Mercer County4.6-2.5 pts
97DeKalb County4.6-0.3 pts
98Barton County4.5-0.5 pts
99Mississippi County4.4+0.1 pts
100Pemiscot County4.3+0.3 pts
101McDonald County4.3+1.1 pts
102Barry County4.3-1.1 pts
103Randolph County4.2-0.4 pts
104Monroe County4.1+0.2 pts
105Washington County4.1-0.2 pts
106St. Clair County4+0.1 pts
107Ripley County4+0.3 pts
108Ray County3.8-0.6 pts
109Crawford County3.8-0.5 pts
110Dade County3.8+0.8 pts
111Reynolds County3.5+0.7 pts
112Clark County3.5-1.1 pts
113Wayne County3.4-0.7 pts
114Schuyler County3.4-0.6 pts
115Hickory County3.1+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 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_missouri_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 Missouri 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/missouri-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 Missouri 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/missouri-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/missouri-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  - 
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 Missouri 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":"Missouri","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=graduate_degree_share&level=province&within=Missouri&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?

Boone County, with 22.6% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Hickory County, with 3.1% 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 Missouri: more rankings