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

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

Orange County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 100 counties in 2023, at 34.3%. Anson County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 7.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest34.3Orange County
Lowest2.7Anson County
Median7.6100 counties
North Carolina12.9History

Map of counties, 2023

Alamance County: 8.9 %Alexander County: 5 %Alleghany County: 8 %Anson County: 2.7 %Ashe County: 8 %Avery County: 8.2 %Beaufort County: 7.5 %Bertie County: 6.8 %Bladen County: 6 %Brunswick County: 12.1 %Buncombe County: 18.2 %Burke County: 7.3 %Cabarrus County: 13.8 %Caldwell County: 5.6 %Camden County: 7.3 %Carteret County: 12.1 %Caswell County: 5.6 %Catawba County: 7.3 %Chatham County: 22.8 %Cherokee County: 8.1 %Chowan County: 10.3 %Clay County: 10.2 %Cleveland County: 7.6 %Columbus County: 4.9 %Craven County: 10.4 %Cumberland County: 9.8 %Currituck County: 8.8 %Dare County: 13.4 %Davidson County: 6.2 %Davie County: 8.8 %Duplin County: 4.9 %Durham County: 25.9 %Edgecombe County: 5 %Forsyth County: 14.3 %Franklin County: 7.5 %Gaston County: 7.7 %Gates County: 5.1 %Graham County: 5.5 %Granville County: 7.1 %Greene County: 3.5 %Guilford County: 14.4 %Halifax County: 5.2 %Harnett County: 8.1 %Haywood County: 11.5 %Henderson County: 12.8 %Hertford County: 6.4 %Hoke County: 6.6 %Hyde County: 3.7 %Iredell County: 10.7 %Jackson County: 12.7 %Johnston County: 7.7 %Jones County: 3.6 %Lee County: 6.8 %Lenoir County: 5.5 %Lincoln County: 7.6 %McDowell County: 5.4 %Macon County: 8.8 %Madison County: 10.3 %Martin County: 4.2 %Mecklenburg County: 17.3 %Mitchell County: 9.6 %Montgomery County: 6.5 %Moore County: 16.5 %Nash County: 7.1 %New Hanover County: 15.7 %Northampton County: 7.5 %Onslow County: 8.2 %Orange County: 34.3 %Pamlico County: 11.5 %Pasquotank County: 9.1 %Pender County: 10.1 %Perquimans County: 8.3 %Person County: 5.7 %Pitt County: 14.2 %Polk County: 12.6 %Randolph County: 5 %Richmond County: 5.9 %Robeson County: 5 %Rockingham County: 5.3 %Rowan County: 6.6 %Rutherford County: 7.4 %Sampson County: 4.4 %Scotland County: 5.5 %Stanly County: 4.9 %Stokes County: 6.2 %Surry County: 6.4 %Swain County: 9 %Transylvania County: 14.7 %Tyrrell County: 5.5 %Union County: 13.4 %Vance County: 5.6 %Wake County: 22.5 %Warren County: 6.2 %Washington County: 3.7 %Watauga County: 21.9 %Wayne County: 6.6 %Wilkes County: 5.1 %Wilson County: 8 %Yadkin County: 3.9 %Yancey County: 7.9 %
  • Under 5.2
  • 5.2 to 6.4
  • 6.4 to 7.6
  • 7.6 to 8.9
  • 8.9 to 13
  • 13 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

Orange County: 34.3 %Orange County34.3Durham County: 25.9 %Durham County25.9Chatham County: 22.8 %Chatham County22.8Wake County: 22.5 %Wake County22.5Watauga County: 21.9 %Watauga County21.9Buncombe County: 18.2 %Buncombe County18.2Mecklenburg County: 17.3 %Mecklenburg County17.3Moore County: 16.5 %Moore County16.5New Hanover County: 15.7 %New Hanover County15.7Transylvania County: 14.7 %Transylvania County14.7Guilford County: 14.4 %Guilford County14.4Forsyth County: 14.3 %Forsyth County14.3Pitt County: 14.2 %Pitt County14.2Cabarrus County: 13.8 %Cabarrus County13.8Dare County: 13.4 %Dare County13.4Union County: 13.4 %Union County13.4Henderson County: 12.8 %Henderson County12.8Jackson County: 12.7 %Jackson County12.7Polk County: 12.6 %Polk County12.6Brunswick County: 12.1 %Brunswick County12.1Carteret County: 12.1 %Carteret County12.1Pamlico County: 11.5 %Pamlico County11.5Haywood County: 11.5 %Haywood County11.5Iredell County: 10.7 %Iredell County10.7Craven County: 10.4 %Craven County10.4Madison County: 10.3 %Madison County10.3Chowan County: 10.3 %Chowan County10.3Clay County: 10.2 %Clay County10.2Pender County: 10.1 %Pender County10.1Cumberland County: 9.8 %Cumberland County9.8Mitchell County: 9.6 %Mitchell County9.6Pasquotank County: 9.1 %Pasquotank County9.1Swain County: 9 %Swain County9Alamance County: 8.9 %Alamance County8.9Macon County: 8.8 %Macon County8.8Currituck County: 8.8 %Currituck County8.8Davie County: 8.8 %Davie County8.8Perquimans County: 8.3 %Perquimans County8.3Avery County: 8.2 %Avery County8.2Onslow County: 8.2 %Onslow County8.2Orange County: 34.3 %Orange County34.3Durham County: 25.9 %Durham County25.9Chatham County: 22.8 %Chatham County22.8Wake County: 22.5 %Wake County22.5Watauga County: 21.9 %Watauga County21.9Buncombe County: 18.2 %Buncombe County18.2Mecklenburg County: 17.3 %Mecklenburg County17.3Moore County: 16.5 %Moore County16.5New Hanover County: 15.7 %New Hanover County15.7Transylvania County: 14.7 %Transylvania County14.7Guilford County: 14.4 %Guilford County14.4Forsyth County: 14.3 %Forsyth County14.3Pitt County: 14.2 %Pitt County14.2Cabarrus County: 13.8 %Cabarrus County13.8Dare County: 13.4 %Dare County13.4Union County: 13.4 %Union County13.4Henderson County: 12.8 %Henderson County12.8Jackson County: 12.7 %Jackson County12.7Polk County: 12.6 %Polk County12.6Brunswick County: 12.1 %Brunswick County12.1Carteret County: 12.1 %Carteret County12.1Pamlico County: 11.5 %Pamlico County11.5Haywood County: 11.5 %Haywood County11.5Iredell County: 10.7 %Iredell County10.7Craven County: 10.4 %Craven County10.4Madison County: 10.3 %Madison County10.3Chowan County: 10.3 %Chowan County10.3Clay County: 10.2 %Clay County10.2Pender County: 10.1 %Pender County10.1Cumberland County: 9.8 %Cumberland County9.8Mitchell County: 9.6 %Mitchell County9.6Pasquotank County: 9.1 %Pasquotank County9.1Swain County: 9 %Swain County9Alamance County: 8.9 %Alamance County8.9Macon County: 8.8 %Macon County8.8Currituck County: 8.8 %Currituck County8.8Davie County: 8.8 %Davie County8.8Perquimans County: 8.3 %Perquimans County8.3Avery County: 8.2 %Avery County8.2Onslow County: 8.2 %Onslow County8.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Orange County34.3+0.2 pts
2Durham County25.9+1.1 pts
3Chatham County22.8+1 pts
4Wake County22.5+0.6 pts
5Watauga County21.9+1.5 pts
6Buncombe County18.2+0.7 pts
7Mecklenburg County17.3+0.6 pts
8Moore County16.5+0.2 pts
9New Hanover County15.7+0.6 pts
10Transylvania County14.7+1.4 pts
11Guilford County14.4+0.4 pts
12Forsyth County14.3+0.4 pts
13Pitt County14.2+1 pts
14Cabarrus County13.8+1.2 pts
15Dare County13.4-1.1 pts
15Union County13.4+0.4 pts
17Henderson County12.80 pts
18Jackson County12.7+0.2 pts
19Polk County12.6+0.7 pts
20Brunswick County12.1+0.1 pts
21Carteret County12.1+0.1 pts
22Pamlico County11.5-0.6 pts
23Haywood County11.5+0.3 pts
24Iredell County10.7+0.5 pts
25Craven County10.4-0.1 pts
26Madison County10.3-0.8 pts
27Chowan County10.3+1.3 pts
28Clay County10.2-1.1 pts
29Pender County10.1+0.7 pts
30Cumberland County9.8+0.3 pts
31Mitchell County9.6+1.3 pts
32Pasquotank County9.1+0.2 pts
33Swain County9+0.4 pts
34Alamance County8.9+0.5 pts
35Macon County8.8+0.4 pts
36Currituck County8.8+0.3 pts
37Davie County8.8-0 pts
38Perquimans County8.3-0.3 pts
39Avery County8.2-0.5 pts
40Onslow County8.2+0.1 pts
41Cherokee County8.1+0.1 pts
42Harnett County8.1+0.4 pts
43Alleghany County8+0.7 pts
44Ashe County8-0.2 pts
45Wilson County8+0.5 pts
46Yancey County7.9-0.1 pts
47Gaston County7.7+0.3 pts
48Johnston County7.7+0.5 pts
49Lincoln County7.6+0.2 pts
50Cleveland County7.6+0.5 pts
51Franklin County7.5-0 pts
52Beaufort County7.5+0.3 pts
53Northampton County7.5+0.5 pts
54Rutherford County7.4+0.6 pts
55Burke County7.3-0.1 pts
55Camden County7.3-0.6 pts
57Catawba County7.3-0.2 pts
58Granville County7.1-0.3 pts
59Nash County7.1+0.4 pts
60Lee County6.8+0.5 pts
61Bertie County6.8+1 pts
62Wayne County6.6+0.5 pts
63Hoke County6.6+0.1 pts
63Rowan County6.6+0.6 pts
65Montgomery County6.5-0 pts
66Surry County6.4+0.4 pts
67Hertford County6.4-0.2 pts
68Warren County6.2+0.3 pts
69Davidson County6.2+0.1 pts
70Stokes County6.2+0.6 pts
71Bladen County6-0.3 pts
72Richmond County5.9-0.6 pts
73Person County5.7+0.9 pts
74Vance County5.6-0 pts
75Caldwell County5.6+0.7 pts
76Caswell County5.6-0 pts
77Lenoir County5.5+0.9 pts
78Scotland County5.5+0.1 pts
79Graham County5.5+1.8 pts
80Tyrrell County5.5+1 pts
81McDowell County5.4-0.1 pts
82Rockingham County5.3+0.4 pts
83Halifax County5.2-0.5 pts
84Gates County5.1+1.5 pts
85Wilkes County5.1+0.3 pts
86Edgecombe County5+0.2 pts
87Randolph County5+0.1 pts
88Alexander County5+0.7 pts
89Robeson County5-0.1 pts
90Duplin County4.9+0.4 pts
91Columbus County4.9+0.1 pts
92Stanly County4.9-0.6 pts
93Sampson County4.4-0.1 pts
94Martin County4.2-0.1 pts
95Yadkin County3.9+0.5 pts
96Washington County3.7+0.3 pts
97Hyde County3.7+0.9 pts
98Jones County3.6-0.3 pts
99Greene County3.5+0.1 pts
100Anson County2.70 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina-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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina-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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina-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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/north-carolina-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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Questions

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

Orange County, with 34.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Anson County, with 2.7% 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 North Carolina: more rankings