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

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

Germantown, TN had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 65 cities in 2022, at 33.3%. Shelbyville, TN had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 10.2% and the figure for Tennessee was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest33.3Germantown, TN
Lowest4.1Shelbyville, TN
Median10.265 cities
Tennessee11History

Top 40 cities, 2022

Germantown, TN: 33.3 %Germantown, TN33.3Brentwood, TN: 32.9 %Brentwood, TN32.9Nolensville, TN: 27.2 %Nolensville, TN27.2Farragut, TN: 26.8 %Farragut, TN26.8Collierville, TN: 25.9 %Collierville, TN25.9Franklin, TN: 23.1 %Franklin, TN23.1Lakeland, TN: 21.2 %Lakeland, TN21.2Collegedale, TN: 20.8 %Collegedale, TN20.8Johnson City, TN: 18.9 %Johnson City, TN18.9Oak Ridge, TN: 17.8 %Oak Ridge, TN17.8Nashville, TN: 17.3 %Nashville, TN17.3Mount Juliet, TN: 16.9 %Mount Juliet, TN16.9Arlington, TN: 16.8 %Arlington, TN16.8Maryville, TN: 15.4 %Maryville, TN15.4Bartlett, TN: 14.9 %Bartlett, TN14.9Cookeville, TN: 14.1 %Cookeville, TN14.1Hendersonville, TN: 14 %Hendersonville, TN14Murfreesboro, TN: 13.7 %Murfreesboro, TN13.7Red Bank, TN: 13.6 %Red Bank, TN13.6Spring Hill, TN: 13.1 %Spring Hill, TN13.1Chattanooga, TN: 13.1 %Chattanooga, TN13.1Cleveland, TN: 13 %Cleveland, TN13Knoxville, TN: 12.8 %Knoxville, TN12.8Tullahoma, TN: 12.8 %Tullahoma, TN12.8Martin, TN: 12.3 %Martin, TN12.3Fairview, TN: 12.2 %Fairview, TN12.2Goodlettsville, TN: 12.1 %Goodlettsville, TN12.1Kingsport, TN: 11.6 %Kingsport, TN11.6Alcoa, TN: 11.1 %Alcoa, TN11.1Memphis, TN: 10.9 %Memphis, TN10.9Jackson, TN: 10.9 %Jackson, TN10.9Clarksville, TN: 10.3 %Clarksville, TN10.3Winchester, TN: 10.2 %Winchester, TN10.2Bristol, TN: 9.9 %Bristol, TN9.9Gallatin, TN: 9.7 %Gallatin, TN9.7Manchester, TN: 9.6 %Manchester, TN9.6Atoka, TN: 9.3 %Atoka, TN9.3Lebanon, TN: 9.3 %Lebanon, TN9.3Dyersburg, TN: 9.3 %Dyersburg, TN9.3Millington, TN: 9.2 %Millington, TN9.2Germantown, TN: 33.3 %Germantown, TN33.3Brentwood, TN: 32.9 %Brentwood, TN32.9Nolensville, TN: 27.2 %Nolensville, TN27.2Farragut, TN: 26.8 %Farragut, TN26.8Collierville, TN: 25.9 %Collierville, TN25.9Franklin, TN: 23.1 %Franklin, TN23.1Lakeland, TN: 21.2 %Lakeland, TN21.2Collegedale, TN: 20.8 %Collegedale, TN20.8Johnson City, TN: 18.9 %Johnson City, TN18.9Oak Ridge, TN: 17.8 %Oak Ridge, TN17.8Nashville, TN: 17.3 %Nashville, TN17.3Mount Juliet, TN: 16.9 %Mount Juliet, TN16.9Arlington, TN: 16.8 %Arlington, TN16.8Maryville, TN: 15.4 %Maryville, TN15.4Bartlett, TN: 14.9 %Bartlett, TN14.9Cookeville, TN: 14.1 %Cookeville, TN14.1Hendersonville, TN: 14 %Hendersonville, TN14Murfreesboro, TN: 13.7 %Murfreesboro, TN13.7Red Bank, TN: 13.6 %Red Bank, TN13.6Spring Hill, TN: 13.1 %Spring Hill, TN13.1Chattanooga, TN: 13.1 %Chattanooga, TN13.1Cleveland, TN: 13 %Cleveland, TN13Knoxville, TN: 12.8 %Knoxville, TN12.8Tullahoma, TN: 12.8 %Tullahoma, TN12.8Martin, TN: 12.3 %Martin, TN12.3Fairview, TN: 12.2 %Fairview, TN12.2Goodlettsville, TN: 12.1 %Goodlettsville, TN12.1Kingsport, TN: 11.6 %Kingsport, TN11.6Alcoa, TN: 11.1 %Alcoa, TN11.1Memphis, TN: 10.9 %Memphis, TN10.9Jackson, TN: 10.9 %Jackson, TN10.9Clarksville, TN: 10.3 %Clarksville, TN10.3Winchester, TN: 10.2 %Winchester, TN10.2Bristol, TN: 9.9 %Bristol, TN9.9Gallatin, TN: 9.7 %Gallatin, TN9.7Manchester, TN: 9.6 %Manchester, TN9.6Atoka, TN: 9.3 %Atoka, TN9.3Lebanon, TN: 9.3 %Lebanon, TN9.3Dyersburg, TN: 9.3 %Dyersburg, TN9.3Millington, TN: 9.2 %Millington, TN9.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Germantown, TN33.3+0.3 pts
2Brentwood, TN32.9+0.5 pts
3Nolensville, TN27.2+0.4 pts
4Farragut, TN26.8-0.4 pts
5Collierville, TN25.9+0.1 pts
6Franklin, TN23.1-1.9 pts
7Lakeland, TN21.2+0.4 pts
8Collegedale, TN20.8+1.3 pts
9Johnson City, TN18.9+0.2 pts
10Oak Ridge, TN17.8-1.1 pts
11Nashville, TN17.3+0.9 pts
12Mount Juliet, TN16.9+1.3 pts
13Arlington, TN16.8+1.2 pts
14Maryville, TN15.4-0.5 pts
15Bartlett, TN14.9+0.4 pts
16Cookeville, TN14.1-0.8 pts
17Hendersonville, TN14+0.1 pts
18Murfreesboro, TN13.7+0.2 pts
19Red Bank, TN13.6+0.7 pts
20Spring Hill, TN13.1-0.6 pts
21Chattanooga, TN13.1+1.2 pts
22Cleveland, TN13+1.1 pts
23Knoxville, TN12.8-0.5 pts
24Tullahoma, TN12.8+0.5 pts
25Martin, TN12.3-1.9 pts
26Fairview, TN12.2+0.5 pts
27Goodlettsville, TN12.1-0.2 pts
28Kingsport, TN11.6+0.6 pts
29Alcoa, TN11.1+1.2 pts
30Memphis, TN10.9+0.3 pts
31Jackson, TN10.9-0.7 pts
32Clarksville, TN10.3+0.2 pts
33Winchester, TN10.2+0.1 pts
34Bristol, TN9.9+0.1 pts
35Gallatin, TN9.7+1.2 pts
36Manchester, TN9.6+0.3 pts
37Atoka, TN9.3+1.2 pts
38Lebanon, TN9.3+0.3 pts
39Dyersburg, TN9.3+0.7 pts
40Millington, TN9.2+0.8 pts
41Elizabethton, TN8.3+0.4 pts
42Lawrenceburg, TN8.2-0.6 pts
43Athens, TN8.1+0.5 pts
44Union City, TN8+1.7 pts
45Lenoir City, TN7.8-0.5 pts
46Greeneville, TN7.7+0.6 pts
47Oakland, TN7.7+1.1 pts
48Sevierville, TN7.70 pts
49Clinton, TN7.6+0.3 pts
50Crossville, TN6.9+1.8 pts
51Columbia, TN6.8+0.5 pts
52East Ridge, TN6.8-0.9 pts
53La Vergne, TN6.7+0.2 pts
54Smyrna, TN6.6-0.1 pts
55Lewisburg, TN6.3+0.2 pts
56Paris, TN6+0.3 pts
57Morristown, TN5.9+0.8 pts
58Soddy-Daisy, TN5.8-1.1 pts
59Dickson, TN5.3-0.2 pts
60White House, TN5.1-0.4 pts
61Portland, TN5+1.2 pts
62McMinnville, TN4.8-1.8 pts
63Hartsville, TN4.4+1 pts
64Springfield, TN4.4-0.6 pts
65Shelbyville, TN4.1-0.3 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. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022. 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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022.

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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_tennessee_by_2022,
  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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 Tennessee by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/tennessee-cities?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 Tennessee 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":"Tennessee","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=graduate_degree_share&level=municipality&within=Tennessee&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?

Germantown, TN, with 33.3% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Shelbyville, TN, with 4.1% in 2022.

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 Tennessee: more rankings