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

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

Williamson County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 95 counties in 2023, at 23.5%. Decatur County had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 6.4% and the figure for Tennessee was 11.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest23.5Williamson County
Lowest2.5Decatur County
Median6.495 counties
Tennessee11.4History

Map of counties, 2023

Anderson County: 11.1 %Bedford County: 5.1 %Benton County: 5 %Bledsoe County: 3.8 %Blount County: 9.6 %Bradley County: 9.6 %Campbell County: 5.5 %Cannon County: 5.2 %Carroll County: 7.9 %Carter County: 6.8 %Cheatham County: 8.4 %Chester County: 7.4 %Claiborne County: 7.7 %Clay County: 5.7 %Cocke County: 4.1 %Coffee County: 9.9 %Crockett County: 5.1 %Cumberland County: 7.7 %Davidson County: 18.1 %Decatur County: 2.5 %DeKalb County: 7.1 %Dickson County: 7.4 %Dyer County: 8.3 %Fayette County: 8.7 %Fentress County: 5.5 %Franklin County: 8.7 %Gibson County: 6.9 %Giles County: 6.7 %Grainger County: 6.4 %Greene County: 6.5 %Grundy County: 6.4 %Hamblen County: 8.3 %Hamilton County: 13.8 %Hancock County: 4.2 %Hardeman County: 4 %Hardin County: 5.5 %Hawkins County: 5.7 %Haywood County: 4.9 %Henderson County: 4.6 %Henry County: 6.6 %Hickman County: 4.1 %Houston County: 4.9 %Humphreys County: 6.2 %Jackson County: 3.6 %Jefferson County: 8.2 %Johnson County: 4.5 %Knox County: 15.7 %Lake County: 4.2 %Lauderdale County: 4.1 %Lawrence County: 6 %Lewis County: 3.2 %Lincoln County: 7.8 %Loudon County: 10.8 %McMinn County: 6.1 %McNairy County: 4 %Macon County: 3.9 %Madison County: 10.1 %Marion County: 6.4 %Marshall County: 6.1 %Maury County: 7.9 %Meigs County: 3.9 %Monroe County: 5.2 %Montgomery County: 12.4 %Moore County: 8.4 %Morgan County: 5.3 %Obion County: 7.1 %Overton County: 4.6 %Perry County: 3 %Pickett County: 6.6 %Polk County: 5.5 %Putnam County: 10.8 %Rhea County: 5.6 %Roane County: 9.3 %Robertson County: 5.6 %Rutherford County: 11 %Scott County: 4.4 %Sequatchie County: 6.7 %Sevier County: 6.9 %Shelby County: 14.1 %Smith County: 5.4 %Stewart County: 4.6 %Sullivan County: 8.9 %Sumner County: 10.6 %Tipton County: 6.7 %Trousdale County: 3.7 %Unicoi County: 7.6 %Union County: 5.6 %Van Buren County: 5.4 %Warren County: 4.8 %Washington County: 14.6 %Wayne County: 4.1 %Weakley County: 8.5 %White County: 4.6 %Williamson County: 23.5 %Wilson County: 12.3 %
  • Under 4.4
  • 4.4 to 5.4
  • 5.4 to 6.4
  • 6.4 to 7.6
  • 7.6 to 9.6
  • 9.6 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

Williamson County: 23.5 %Williamson County23.5Davidson County: 18.1 %Davidson County18.1Knox County: 15.7 %Knox County15.7Washington County: 14.6 %Washington County14.6Shelby County: 14.1 %Shelby County14.1Hamilton County: 13.8 %Hamilton County13.8Montgomery County: 12.4 %Montgomery County12.4Wilson County: 12.3 %Wilson County12.3Anderson County: 11.1 %Anderson County11.1Rutherford County: 11 %Rutherford County11Putnam County: 10.8 %Putnam County10.8Loudon County: 10.8 %Loudon County10.8Sumner County: 10.6 %Sumner County10.6Madison County: 10.1 %Madison County10.1Coffee County: 9.9 %Coffee County9.9Blount County: 9.6 %Blount County9.6Bradley County: 9.6 %Bradley County9.6Roane County: 9.3 %Roane County9.3Sullivan County: 8.9 %Sullivan County8.9Fayette County: 8.7 %Fayette County8.7Franklin County: 8.7 %Franklin County8.7Weakley County: 8.5 %Weakley County8.5Cheatham County: 8.4 %Cheatham County8.4Moore County: 8.4 %Moore County8.4Dyer County: 8.3 %Dyer County8.3Hamblen County: 8.3 %Hamblen County8.3Jefferson County: 8.2 %Jefferson County8.2Maury County: 7.9 %Maury County7.9Carroll County: 7.9 %Carroll County7.9Lincoln County: 7.8 %Lincoln County7.8Cumberland County: 7.7 %Cumberland County7.7Claiborne County: 7.7 %Claiborne County7.7Unicoi County: 7.6 %Unicoi County7.6Dickson County: 7.4 %Dickson County7.4Chester County: 7.4 %Chester County7.4Obion County: 7.1 %Obion County7.1DeKalb County: 7.1 %DeKalb County7.1Gibson County: 6.9 %Gibson County6.9Sevier County: 6.9 %Sevier County6.9Carter County: 6.8 %Carter County6.8Williamson County: 23.5 %Williamson County23.5Davidson County: 18.1 %Davidson County18.1Knox County: 15.7 %Knox County15.7Washington County: 14.6 %Washington County14.6Shelby County: 14.1 %Shelby County14.1Hamilton County: 13.8 %Hamilton County13.8Montgomery County: 12.4 %Montgomery County12.4Wilson County: 12.3 %Wilson County12.3Anderson County: 11.1 %Anderson County11.1Rutherford County: 11 %Rutherford County11Putnam County: 10.8 %Putnam County10.8Loudon County: 10.8 %Loudon County10.8Sumner County: 10.6 %Sumner County10.6Madison County: 10.1 %Madison County10.1Coffee County: 9.9 %Coffee County9.9Blount County: 9.6 %Blount County9.6Bradley County: 9.6 %Bradley County9.6Roane County: 9.3 %Roane County9.3Sullivan County: 8.9 %Sullivan County8.9Fayette County: 8.7 %Fayette County8.7Franklin County: 8.7 %Franklin County8.7Weakley County: 8.5 %Weakley County8.5Cheatham County: 8.4 %Cheatham County8.4Moore County: 8.4 %Moore County8.4Dyer County: 8.3 %Dyer County8.3Hamblen County: 8.3 %Hamblen County8.3Jefferson County: 8.2 %Jefferson County8.2Maury County: 7.9 %Maury County7.9Carroll County: 7.9 %Carroll County7.9Lincoln County: 7.8 %Lincoln County7.8Cumberland County: 7.7 %Cumberland County7.7Claiborne County: 7.7 %Claiborne County7.7Unicoi County: 7.6 %Unicoi County7.6Dickson County: 7.4 %Dickson County7.4Chester County: 7.4 %Chester County7.4Obion County: 7.1 %Obion County7.1DeKalb County: 7.1 %DeKalb County7.1Gibson County: 6.9 %Gibson County6.9Sevier County: 6.9 %Sevier County6.9Carter County: 6.8 %Carter County6.8
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Williamson County23.5+0.8 pts
2Davidson County18.1+0.5 pts
3Knox County15.7+0.5 pts
4Washington County14.6+0.4 pts
5Shelby County14.1+0.5 pts
6Hamilton County13.8+0.7 pts
7Montgomery County12.4+1.4 pts
8Wilson County12.30 pts
9Anderson County11.1+0.1 pts
10Rutherford County11+0.5 pts
11Putnam County10.8+0.7 pts
12Loudon County10.8+0.3 pts
13Sumner County10.6+0.5 pts
14Madison County10.1-0.2 pts
15Coffee County9.9+0.4 pts
16Blount County9.6+0.2 pts
17Bradley County9.6+0.5 pts
18Roane County9.3+0.3 pts
19Sullivan County8.90 pts
20Fayette County8.7+0.4 pts
21Franklin County8.7+0.1 pts
22Weakley County8.5+0.9 pts
23Cheatham County8.4+0.6 pts
24Moore County8.4+0.5 pts
25Dyer County8.3-0.3 pts
26Hamblen County8.3+1.3 pts
27Jefferson County8.2+0.1 pts
28Maury County7.9-0.4 pts
29Carroll County7.9-0.1 pts
30Lincoln County7.8+0.1 pts
31Cumberland County7.7+0.5 pts
32Claiborne County7.7-0.3 pts
33Unicoi County7.6+1.9 pts
34Dickson County7.4+0.3 pts
35Chester County7.4+1 pts
36Obion County7.1+0.8 pts
37DeKalb County7.1+0.7 pts
38Gibson County6.9-0.1 pts
38Sevier County6.9+0.2 pts
40Carter County6.8-0.8 pts
41Sequatchie County6.7+0.4 pts
41Tipton County6.7-0.5 pts
43Giles County6.70 pts
44Henry County6.6-0 pts
45Pickett County6.6+0.2 pts
46Greene County6.5-0.2 pts
47Grundy County6.4-0.3 pts
48Marion County6.4+0.6 pts
49Grainger County6.4+0.3 pts
50Humphreys County6.2+0.1 pts
51Marshall County6.1-0.3 pts
52McMinn County6.1-0 pts
53Lawrence County6-0.2 pts
54Clay County5.7+1.3 pts
55Hawkins County5.7+0.2 pts
56Robertson County5.6+0.2 pts
57Union County5.6-0.5 pts
58Rhea County5.6+0.1 pts
59Fentress County5.5+0.5 pts
59Polk County5.5+0.4 pts
61Campbell County5.5+0.1 pts
61Hardin County5.5+0.6 pts
63Smith County5.4-0.1 pts
64Van Buren County5.4+0.9 pts
65Morgan County5.3+0.2 pts
66Cannon County5.2-0.5 pts
67Monroe County5.2+0.3 pts
68Bedford County5.1-0 pts
69Crockett County5.10 pts
70Benton County5+0.2 pts
71Houston County4.9+0.6 pts
72Haywood County4.9-0.1 pts
73Warren County4.8+0.6 pts
74Stewart County4.6-0 pts
74White County4.6+0.1 pts
76Overton County4.6-0.3 pts
77Henderson County4.6+0.2 pts
78Johnson County4.5-0.7 pts
79Scott County4.4+0.3 pts
80Lake County4.2-0.2 pts
81Hancock County4.2-1.7 pts
82Hickman County4.1+0.5 pts
83Wayne County4.1+0.4 pts
84Cocke County4.1+0.1 pts
85Lauderdale County4.1-0 pts
86Hardeman County4+0.6 pts
87McNairy County4-0.9 pts
88Meigs County3.9-0.3 pts
89Macon County3.9+0.5 pts
90Bledsoe County3.8-0.2 pts
91Trousdale County3.7-0.6 pts
92Jackson County3.6+0.8 pts
93Lewis County3.2+0.5 pts
94Perry County3-0.6 pts
95Decatur County2.5-0.5 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Williamson County, with 23.5% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Decatur County, with 2.5% 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 Tennessee: more rankings