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

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

Chapel Hill, NC had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 93 cities in 2021, at 47.9%. Lexington, NC had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 12.4% and the figure for North Carolina was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest47.9Chapel Hill, NC
Lowest3.4Lexington, NC
Median12.493 cities
North Carolina12.1History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Chapel Hill, NC: 47.9 %Chapel Hill, NC47.9Carrboro, NC: 42.3 %Carrboro, NC42.3Morrisville, NC: 32.3 %Morrisville, NC32.3Cary, NC: 31.8 %Cary, NC31.8Davidson, NC: 31.3 %Davidson, NC31.3Boone, NC: 27.3 %Boone, NC27.3Apex, NC: 26.5 %Apex, NC26.5Rolesville, NC: 26.1 %Rolesville, NC26.1Pinehurst, NC: 25.6 %Pinehurst, NC25.6Durham, NC: 25.1 %Durham, NC25.1Weddington, NC: 23.6 %Weddington, NC23.6Elon, NC: 23.5 %Elon, NC23.5Holly Springs, NC: 23.5 %Holly Springs, NC23.5Southern Pines, NC: 22.8 %Southern Pines, NC22.8Summerfield, NC: 21.1 %Summerfield, NC21.1Asheville, NC: 20.5 %Asheville, NC20.5Wake Forest, NC: 20.3 %Wake Forest, NC20.3Huntersville, NC: 20.1 %Huntersville, NC20.1Raleigh, NC: 19.7 %Raleigh, NC19.7Waxhaw, NC: 19.6 %Waxhaw, NC19.6Clemmons, NC: 19.4 %Clemmons, NC19.4Winterville, NC: 17.9 %Winterville, NC17.9Cornelius, NC: 17.2 %Cornelius, NC17.2Knightdale, NC: 17 %Knightdale, NC17Harrisburg, NC: 16.4 %Harrisburg, NC16.4Charlotte, NC: 16.2 %Charlotte, NC16.2Greenville, NC: 15.8 %Greenville, NC15.8Garner, NC: 15.8 %Garner, NC15.8Wilmington, NC: 15.3 %Wilmington, NC15.3Matthews, NC: 15 %Matthews, NC15Greensboro, NC: 15 %Greensboro, NC15Hendersonville, NC: 14.9 %Hendersonville, NC14.9Stallings, NC: 14.8 %Stallings, NC14.8Belmont, NC: 14.6 %Belmont, NC14.6Concord, NC: 14.6 %Concord, NC14.6Winston-Salem, NC: 14.3 %Winston-Salem, NC14.3Morehead City, NC: 14 %Morehead City, NC14Indian Trail, NC: 13.8 %Indian Trail, NC13.8New Bern, NC: 13.7 %New Bern, NC13.7Hickory, NC: 13.3 %Hickory, NC13.3Chapel Hill, NC: 47.9 %Chapel Hill, NC47.9Carrboro, NC: 42.3 %Carrboro, NC42.3Morrisville, NC: 32.3 %Morrisville, NC32.3Cary, NC: 31.8 %Cary, NC31.8Davidson, NC: 31.3 %Davidson, NC31.3Boone, NC: 27.3 %Boone, NC27.3Apex, NC: 26.5 %Apex, NC26.5Rolesville, NC: 26.1 %Rolesville, NC26.1Pinehurst, NC: 25.6 %Pinehurst, NC25.6Durham, NC: 25.1 %Durham, NC25.1Weddington, NC: 23.6 %Weddington, NC23.6Elon, NC: 23.5 %Elon, NC23.5Holly Springs, NC: 23.5 %Holly Springs, NC23.5Southern Pines, NC: 22.8 %Southern Pines, NC22.8Summerfield, NC: 21.1 %Summerfield, NC21.1Asheville, NC: 20.5 %Asheville, NC20.5Wake Forest, NC: 20.3 %Wake Forest, NC20.3Huntersville, NC: 20.1 %Huntersville, NC20.1Raleigh, NC: 19.7 %Raleigh, NC19.7Waxhaw, NC: 19.6 %Waxhaw, NC19.6Clemmons, NC: 19.4 %Clemmons, NC19.4Winterville, NC: 17.9 %Winterville, NC17.9Cornelius, NC: 17.2 %Cornelius, NC17.2Knightdale, NC: 17 %Knightdale, NC17Harrisburg, NC: 16.4 %Harrisburg, NC16.4Charlotte, NC: 16.2 %Charlotte, NC16.2Greenville, NC: 15.8 %Greenville, NC15.8Garner, NC: 15.8 %Garner, NC15.8Wilmington, NC: 15.3 %Wilmington, NC15.3Matthews, NC: 15 %Matthews, NC15Greensboro, NC: 15 %Greensboro, NC15Hendersonville, NC: 14.9 %Hendersonville, NC14.9Stallings, NC: 14.8 %Stallings, NC14.8Belmont, NC: 14.6 %Belmont, NC14.6Concord, NC: 14.6 %Concord, NC14.6Winston-Salem, NC: 14.3 %Winston-Salem, NC14.3Morehead City, NC: 14 %Morehead City, NC14Indian Trail, NC: 13.8 %Indian Trail, NC13.8New Bern, NC: 13.7 %New Bern, NC13.7Hickory, NC: 13.3 %Hickory, NC13.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Chapel Hill, NC47.9
2Carrboro, NC42.3
3Morrisville, NC32.3
4Cary, NC31.8
5Davidson, NC31.3
6Boone, NC27.3
7Apex, NC26.5
8Rolesville, NC26.1
9Pinehurst, NC25.6
10Durham, NC25.1
11Weddington, NC23.6
12Elon, NC23.5
12Holly Springs, NC23.5
14Southern Pines, NC22.8
15Summerfield, NC21.1
16Asheville, NC20.5
17Wake Forest, NC20.3
18Huntersville, NC20.1
19Raleigh, NC19.7
20Waxhaw, NC19.6
21Clemmons, NC19.4
22Winterville, NC17.9
23Cornelius, NC17.2
24Knightdale, NC17
25Harrisburg, NC16.4
26Charlotte, NC16.2
27Greenville, NC15.8
28Garner, NC15.8
29Wilmington, NC15.3
30Matthews, NC15
31Greensboro, NC15
32Hendersonville, NC14.9
33Stallings, NC14.8
34Belmont, NC14.6
35Concord, NC14.6
36Winston-Salem, NC14.3
37Morehead City, NC14
38Indian Trail, NC13.8
39New Bern, NC13.7
40Hickory, NC13.3
41Aberdeen, NC13.3
42Leland, NC13.1
43Mooresville, NC12.9
44Fuquay-Varina, NC12.7
45Wendell, NC12.6
46Mebane, NC12.4
47Clayton, NC12.4
48Waynesville, NC12.1
49Lewisville, NC12.1
50Mint Hill, NC12
51Pineville, NC11.9
52Mount Holly, NC11.1
53Kernersville, NC11
54Mount Airy, NC11
55High Point, NC10.7
56Lumberton, NC9.9
57Morganton, NC9.9
58Fayetteville, NC9.5
59Elizabeth City, NC9
59Shelby, NC9
61Jacksonville, NC8.9
62Salisbury, NC8.8
63Kannapolis, NC8.6
64Gastonia, NC8.5
65Tarboro, NC8.4
66Laurinburg, NC8.2
66Spring Lake, NC8.2
68Statesville, NC8.1
69Archdale, NC8
70Wilson, NC8
71Roanoke Rapids, NC7.9
72Goldsboro, NC7.6
73Smithfield, NC7.5
74Sanford, NC7.1
75Rocky Mount, NC7.1
76Burlington, NC7
77Hope Mills, NC6.9
78Zebulon, NC6.3
79Reidsville, NC6.2
80Newton, NC6.2
81Lincolnton, NC5.7
82Eden, NC5.7
83Albemarle, NC5.5
84Graham, NC5.5
85Kinston, NC5.3
86Monroe, NC5.2
87Asheboro, NC5.1
88Henderson, NC4.8
89Havelock, NC4.6
90Thomasville, NC4.4
91Kings Mountain, NC4.4
92Lenoir, NC4.1
93Lexington, NC3.4

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 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/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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in North Carolina 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina 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/north-carolina-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in North Carolina 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/north-carolina-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in North Carolina 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/north-carolina-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_north_carolina_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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina 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/north-carolina-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). 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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in North Carolina 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/north-carolina-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/north-carolina-cities?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, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in North Carolina 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?

Chapel Hill, NC, with 47.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Lexington, NC, with 3.4% 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, 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 North Carolina: more rankings