Data / Rankings / Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over / US cities

US cities by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over

Scarsdale, NY had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 3211 cities in 2021, at 60.6%. Mendota, CA had the lowest, at 0.4%. The median was 10.6% and the figure for the United States was 13.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest60.6Scarsdale, NY
Lowest0.4Mendota, CA
Median10.63211 cities
United States13.1History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Scarsdale, NY: 60.6 %Scarsdale, NY60.6Princeton, NJ: 57.5 %Princeton, NJ57.5West University Place, TX: 55.1 %West University Place, TX55.1Los Altos, CA: 54.8 %Los Altos, CA54.8Palo Alto, CA: 54.7 %Palo Alto, CA54.7Newton, MA: 50.9 %Newton, MA50.9Winnetka, IL: 50.5 %Winnetka, IL50.5Cambridge, MA: 50.4 %Cambridge, MA50.4Wilmette, IL: 50.1 %Wilmette, IL50.1Falls Church, VA: 49.1 %Falls Church, VA49.1Chapel Hill, NC: 47.9 %Chapel Hill, NC47.9Hillsborough, CA: 47.8 %Hillsborough, CA47.8Cupertino, CA: 47.6 %Cupertino, CA47.6Piedmont, CA: 47.6 %Piedmont, CA47.6Amherst Town, MA: 47.5 %Amherst Town, MA47.5Ann Arbor, MI: 46.7 %Ann Arbor, MI46.7Saratoga, CA: 46.3 %Saratoga, CA46.3Bellaire, TX: 46 %Bellaire, TX46Clayton, MO: 45.9 %Clayton, MO45.9Orinda, CA: 45.7 %Orinda, CA45.7Rye, NY: 45.6 %Rye, NY45.6West Lafayette, IN: 45.6 %West Lafayette, IN45.6Vienna, VA: 44.9 %Vienna, VA44.9Tenafly, NJ: 44.5 %Tenafly, NJ44.5Menlo Park, CA: 44.3 %Menlo Park, CA44.3Davis, CA: 44.2 %Davis, CA44.2River Forest, IL: 43.7 %River Forest, IL43.7Hinsdale, IL: 43.7 %Hinsdale, IL43.7Town and Country, MO: 43.4 %Town and Country, MO43.4Decatur, GA: 43.1 %Decatur, GA43.1State College, PA: 42.9 %State College, PA42.9Shaker Heights, OH: 42.5 %Shaker Heights, OH42.5Mountain View, CA: 42.5 %Mountain View, CA42.5Carrboro, NC: 42.3 %Carrboro, NC42.3Lake Forest, IL: 42.2 %Lake Forest, IL42.2East Grand Rapids, MI: 42.2 %East Grand Rapids, MI42.2University Park, TX: 42.1 %University Park, TX42.1Whitefish Bay, WI: 42 %Whitefish Bay, WI42Haddonfield, NJ: 41.7 %Haddonfield, NJ41.7Blacksburg, VA: 41.3 %Blacksburg, VA41.3Scarsdale, NY: 60.6 %Scarsdale, NY60.6Princeton, NJ: 57.5 %Princeton, NJ57.5West University Place, TX: 55.1 %West University Place, TX55.1Los Altos, CA: 54.8 %Los Altos, CA54.8Palo Alto, CA: 54.7 %Palo Alto, CA54.7Newton, MA: 50.9 %Newton, MA50.9Winnetka, IL: 50.5 %Winnetka, IL50.5Cambridge, MA: 50.4 %Cambridge, MA50.4Wilmette, IL: 50.1 %Wilmette, IL50.1Falls Church, VA: 49.1 %Falls Church, VA49.1Chapel Hill, NC: 47.9 %Chapel Hill, NC47.9Hillsborough, CA: 47.8 %Hillsborough, CA47.8Cupertino, CA: 47.6 %Cupertino, CA47.6Piedmont, CA: 47.6 %Piedmont, CA47.6Amherst Town, MA: 47.5 %Amherst Town, MA47.5Ann Arbor, MI: 46.7 %Ann Arbor, MI46.7Saratoga, CA: 46.3 %Saratoga, CA46.3Bellaire, TX: 46 %Bellaire, TX46Clayton, MO: 45.9 %Clayton, MO45.9Orinda, CA: 45.7 %Orinda, CA45.7Rye, NY: 45.6 %Rye, NY45.6West Lafayette, IN: 45.6 %West Lafayette, IN45.6Vienna, VA: 44.9 %Vienna, VA44.9Tenafly, NJ: 44.5 %Tenafly, NJ44.5Menlo Park, CA: 44.3 %Menlo Park, CA44.3Davis, CA: 44.2 %Davis, CA44.2River Forest, IL: 43.7 %River Forest, IL43.7Hinsdale, IL: 43.7 %Hinsdale, IL43.7Town and Country, MO: 43.4 %Town and Country, MO43.4Decatur, GA: 43.1 %Decatur, GA43.1State College, PA: 42.9 %State College, PA42.9Shaker Heights, OH: 42.5 %Shaker Heights, OH42.5Mountain View, CA: 42.5 %Mountain View, CA42.5Carrboro, NC: 42.3 %Carrboro, NC42.3Lake Forest, IL: 42.2 %Lake Forest, IL42.2East Grand Rapids, MI: 42.2 %East Grand Rapids, MI42.2University Park, TX: 42.1 %University Park, TX42.1Whitefish Bay, WI: 42 %Whitefish Bay, WI42Haddonfield, NJ: 41.7 %Haddonfield, NJ41.7Blacksburg, VA: 41.3 %Blacksburg, VA41.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Scarsdale, NY60.6
2Princeton, NJ57.5
3West University Place, TX55.1
4Los Altos, CA54.8
5Palo Alto, CA54.7
6Newton, MA50.9
7Winnetka, IL50.5
8Cambridge, MA50.4
9Wilmette, IL50.1
10Falls Church, VA49.1
11Chapel Hill, NC47.9
12Hillsborough, CA47.8
13Cupertino, CA47.6
13Piedmont, CA47.6
15Amherst Town, MA47.5
16Ann Arbor, MI46.7
17Saratoga, CA46.3
18Bellaire, TX46
19Clayton, MO45.9
20Orinda, CA45.7
21Rye, NY45.6
22West Lafayette, IN45.6
23Vienna, VA44.9
24Tenafly, NJ44.5
25Menlo Park, CA44.3
26Davis, CA44.2
27River Forest, IL43.7
28Hinsdale, IL43.7
29Town and Country, MO43.4
30Decatur, GA43.1
31State College, PA42.9
32Shaker Heights, OH42.5
33Mountain View, CA42.5
34Carrboro, NC42.3
35Lake Forest, IL42.2
36East Grand Rapids, MI42.2
37University Park, TX42.1
38Whitefish Bay, WI42
39Haddonfield, NJ41.7
40Blacksburg, VA41.3
41Shorewood, WI41.1
42Deerfield, IL40.7
43Highland Park, NJ40.5
44Berkeley, CA40.2
45Albany, CA39.9
46Boulder, CO39.7
47Moraga, CA39.7
48Burr Ridge, IL39.5
49Oxford, OH39.4
50Birmingham, MI39.3
51Oak Park, IL39.1
52Evanston, IL38.6
53San Marino, CA38.6
54East Lansing, MI38.4
55Beachwood, OH38.4
56Mercer Island, WA38.2
57Highland Park, IL38.2
58La Cañada Flintridge, CA38
59Montgomery, OH38
60Ithaca, NY37.9
61Dobbs Ferry, NY37.8
62Coral Gables, FL37.8
63Pinecrest, FL37.6
64Chatham, NJ37.6
65Athens, OH37.6
66Northbrook, IL37.5
67Sunnyvale, CA37.5
68Upper Arlington, OH37.4
69Rockville, MD37.3
70Glen Rock, NJ37.3
71Superior, CO37.1
72Beverly Hills, MI37.1
73Mountain Brook, AL36.9
74Bexley, OH36.8
75Ridgewood, NJ36.7
76Takoma Park, MD36.6
77Garden City, NY36.6
78Summit, NJ36.6
79San Carlos, CA36.2
80Mill Valley, CA36.1
81Foster City, CA35.8
82Clemson, SC35.7
83Lafayette, CA35.7
84Manhattan Beach, CA35.6
85Leawood, KS35.6
86Los Gatos, CA35.5
87Franklin Park, PA35.5
88Key Biscayne, FL35.4
89Palos Verdes Estates, CA35.3
90Mequon, WI35.3
91Redmond, WA35.3
92Western Springs, IL35.3
93Paradise Valley, AZ35.2
94Hudson, OH35.2
95Creve Coeur, MO35.2
95Urbana, IL35.2
97Chesterfield, MO35.2
98Westfield, NJ35.1
99Sammamish, WA34.9
100Florham Park, NJ34.8
101Webster Groves, MO34.7
102Greenwood Village, CO34.7
103Franklin Lakes, NJ34.6
104Grosse Pointe Park, MI34.6
105Dublin, OH34.5
106New Providence, NJ34.5
107South Pasadena, CA34.5
108Northampton, MA34.4
109Bainbridge Island, WA34.4
110Glenview, IL34.2
111Alexandria, VA34.1
112Bellevue, WA34.1
112Belmont, CA34.1
114Powell, OH33.5
115Libertyville, IL33.1
116Lake Oswego, OR33.1
117Larkspur, CA33
118Germantown, TN33
119Edgewater, NJ33
120Parkland, FL32.9
121Pullman, WA32.8
121Worthington, OH32.8
123Dunwoody, GA32.8
124Bloomington, IN32.7
124Madison, NJ32.7
126Rancho Palos Verdes, CA32.7
127Emeryville, CA32.6
128Milton, GA32.5
128Santa Clara, CA32.5
130Brentwood, TN32.4
130Carmel, IN32.4
132Morrisville, NC32.3
133Somerville, MA32.2
134El Cerrito, CA32.2
135Southlake, TX31.9
136Edina, MN31.9
137Louisville, CO31.9
138Cary, NC31.8
139Rochester, MI31.6
140Hoboken, NJ31.6
141University Heights, OH31.6
142San Ramon, CA31.5
143Coronado, CA31.4
144Champaign, IL31.4
144Tega Cay, SC31.4
146La Grange, IL31.4
147Davidson, NC31.3
148Sierra Madre, CA31.3
149Coppell, TX31.3
150Metuchen, NJ31.2
151Newcastle, WA31.2
152Walnut Creek, CA31.1
153Fairfax, VA31
154University City, MO30.9
155Vestavia Hills, AL30.9
156Morgantown, WV30.8
157Cleveland Heights, OH30.7
158Fulshear, TX30.7
158Prairie Village, KS30.7
160Calabasas, CA30.6
161Pleasanton, CA30.6
162Claremont, CA30.5
163Irvine, CA30.5
164Tarrytown, NY30.5
165Naperville, IL30.4
166Rockville Centre, NY30.4
167Ashland, OR30.3
168Golden, CO30.2
169Iowa City, IA30.2
170Solon, OH30.1
171Madison, MS30
172Laguna Beach, CA30
173Corvallis, OR29.9
173Johns Creek, GA29.9
175Weston, FL29.8
176Troy, MI29.8
177Winter Park, FL29.8
178Charlottesville, VA29.8
179Burlingame, CA29.7
180Issaquah, WA29.7
181Dublin, CA29.7
182Zionsville, IN29.6
183Rocky River, OH29.6
184Culver City, CA29.5
184Laramie, WY29.5
186Alpharetta, GA29.5
187New Albany, OH29.3
187Santa Monica, CA29.3
189Brookhaven, GA29.3
190Ames, IA29.3
191San Anselmo, CA29.3
192Homewood, AL29.2
193Buffalo Grove, IL29.2
194Newburyport, MA29.2
195Beverly Hills, CA29.2
196Fremont, CA29.1
197Vernon Hills, IL29.1
198Grosse Pointe Woods, MI29
199Lone Tree, CO29
200Oxford, MS29
201Kirkwood, MO29
202Lake Forest Park, WA28.9
203River Edge, NJ28.9
204Auburn, AL28.8
205White Plains, NY28.8
206Glen Ellyn, IL28.7
207Seattle, WA28.6
208Saratoga Springs, NY28.6
209Newport Beach, CA28.6
210Great Neck, NY28.5
210Lisle, IL28.5
210Santa Cruz, CA28.5
213Solana Beach, CA28.4
214Hermosa Beach, CA28.4
215Barrington, IL28.3
216Melrose, MA28.1
217Madison, AL28.1
218Elmhurst, IL28
219Novi, MI27.9
220Miami Shores, FL27.9
221Erie, CO27.8
222College Station, TX27.8
223Mendota Heights, MN27.8
224Newark, DE27.7
225Blue Ash, OH27.6
226Pacific Grove, CA27.5
227Middleton, WI27.5
228Wheaton, IL27.5
229Palmetto Bay, FL27.4
230Mount Kisco, NY27.4
231Rochester Hills, MI27.4
232Boone, NC27.3
233Brookfield, WI27.3
234Encinitas, CA27.2
235Castle Pines, CO27.2
236Farragut, TN27.2
237Naples, FL27.1
238Frisco, TX27
239Colleyville, TX26.9
240Indiana, PA26.9
241Fair Lawn, NJ26.9
242Farmington Hills, MI26.8
243Sandy Springs, GA26.8
244Nolensville, TN26.7
245Oro Valley, AZ26.7
246Manchester, MO26.6
247Shoreview, MN26.6
248La Grange Park, IL26.6
248Lebanon, NH26.6
248Vermillion, SD26.6

Showing the top 250 of 3211. The Excel download has every row.

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. 8 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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) (US cities 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), US cities 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/us-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). US cities 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/us-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), US cities 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/us-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_cities_by_graduate_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): US cities 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/us-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): US cities 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/us-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/us-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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Questions

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

Scarsdale, NY, with 60.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Mendota, CA, with 0.4% 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. 8 cities have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over: other rankings

US cities: more rankings