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

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

Mercer Island, WA had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 91 cities in 2021, at 38.2%. Grandview, WA had the lowest, at 1.3%. The median was 10.7% and the figure for Washington was 14.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest38.2Mercer Island, WA
Lowest1.3Grandview, WA
Median10.791 cities
Washington14.2History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Mercer Island, WA: 38.2 %Mercer Island, WA38.2Redmond, WA: 35.3 %Redmond, WA35.3Sammamish, WA: 34.9 %Sammamish, WA34.9Bainbridge Island, WA: 34.4 %Bainbridge Island, WA34.4Bellevue, WA: 34.1 %Bellevue, WA34.1Pullman, WA: 32.8 %Pullman, WA32.8Newcastle, WA: 31.2 %Newcastle, WA31.2Issaquah, WA: 29.7 %Issaquah, WA29.7Lake Forest Park, WA: 28.9 %Lake Forest Park, WA28.9Seattle, WA: 28.6 %Seattle, WA28.6Snoqualmie, WA: 24.8 %Snoqualmie, WA24.8Port Townsend, WA: 24.5 %Port Townsend, WA24.5Woodinville, WA: 24.2 %Woodinville, WA24.2Kirkland, WA: 24 %Kirkland, WA24Kenmore, WA: 23.6 %Kenmore, WA23.6Mukilteo, WA: 23.4 %Mukilteo, WA23.4Gig Harbor, WA: 22.8 %Gig Harbor, WA22.8Camas, WA: 22.3 %Camas, WA22.3Olympia, WA: 19.7 %Olympia, WA19.7Shoreline, WA: 19.5 %Shoreline, WA19.5Mill Creek, WA: 19.3 %Mill Creek, WA19.3Bellingham, WA: 18.9 %Bellingham, WA18.9Bothell, WA: 18.8 %Bothell, WA18.8Richland, WA: 18.8 %Richland, WA18.8Ellensburg, WA: 18.4 %Ellensburg, WA18.4Anacortes, WA: 17.7 %Anacortes, WA17.7Edmonds, WA: 16.9 %Edmonds, WA16.9Poulsbo, WA: 16.9 %Poulsbo, WA16.9University Place, WA: 16.7 %University Place, WA16.7Cheney, WA: 16 %Cheney, WA16West Richland, WA: 14.8 %West Richland, WA14.8Liberty Lake, WA: 14.4 %Liberty Lake, WA14.4Maple Valley, WA: 14.3 %Maple Valley, WA14.3Tumwater, WA: 13.5 %Tumwater, WA13.5Mountlake Terrace, WA: 13.4 %Mountlake Terrace, WA13.4Washougal, WA: 12.9 %Washougal, WA12.9Ferndale, WA: 12.5 %Ferndale, WA12.5Spokane, WA: 12.1 %Spokane, WA12.1Ridgefield, WA: 11.8 %Ridgefield, WA11.8Tacoma, WA: 11.6 %Tacoma, WA11.6Mercer Island, WA: 38.2 %Mercer Island, WA38.2Redmond, WA: 35.3 %Redmond, WA35.3Sammamish, WA: 34.9 %Sammamish, WA34.9Bainbridge Island, WA: 34.4 %Bainbridge Island, WA34.4Bellevue, WA: 34.1 %Bellevue, WA34.1Pullman, WA: 32.8 %Pullman, WA32.8Newcastle, WA: 31.2 %Newcastle, WA31.2Issaquah, WA: 29.7 %Issaquah, WA29.7Lake Forest Park, WA: 28.9 %Lake Forest Park, WA28.9Seattle, WA: 28.6 %Seattle, WA28.6Snoqualmie, WA: 24.8 %Snoqualmie, WA24.8Port Townsend, WA: 24.5 %Port Townsend, WA24.5Woodinville, WA: 24.2 %Woodinville, WA24.2Kirkland, WA: 24 %Kirkland, WA24Kenmore, WA: 23.6 %Kenmore, WA23.6Mukilteo, WA: 23.4 %Mukilteo, WA23.4Gig Harbor, WA: 22.8 %Gig Harbor, WA22.8Camas, WA: 22.3 %Camas, WA22.3Olympia, WA: 19.7 %Olympia, WA19.7Shoreline, WA: 19.5 %Shoreline, WA19.5Mill Creek, WA: 19.3 %Mill Creek, WA19.3Bellingham, WA: 18.9 %Bellingham, WA18.9Bothell, WA: 18.8 %Bothell, WA18.8Richland, WA: 18.8 %Richland, WA18.8Ellensburg, WA: 18.4 %Ellensburg, WA18.4Anacortes, WA: 17.7 %Anacortes, WA17.7Edmonds, WA: 16.9 %Edmonds, WA16.9Poulsbo, WA: 16.9 %Poulsbo, WA16.9University Place, WA: 16.7 %University Place, WA16.7Cheney, WA: 16 %Cheney, WA16West Richland, WA: 14.8 %West Richland, WA14.8Liberty Lake, WA: 14.4 %Liberty Lake, WA14.4Maple Valley, WA: 14.3 %Maple Valley, WA14.3Tumwater, WA: 13.5 %Tumwater, WA13.5Mountlake Terrace, WA: 13.4 %Mountlake Terrace, WA13.4Washougal, WA: 12.9 %Washougal, WA12.9Ferndale, WA: 12.5 %Ferndale, WA12.5Spokane, WA: 12.1 %Spokane, WA12.1Ridgefield, WA: 11.8 %Ridgefield, WA11.8Tacoma, WA: 11.6 %Tacoma, WA11.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Mercer Island, WA38.2
2Redmond, WA35.3
3Sammamish, WA34.9
4Bainbridge Island, WA34.4
5Bellevue, WA34.1
6Pullman, WA32.8
7Newcastle, WA31.2
8Issaquah, WA29.7
9Lake Forest Park, WA28.9
10Seattle, WA28.6
11Snoqualmie, WA24.8
12Port Townsend, WA24.5
13Woodinville, WA24.2
14Kirkland, WA24
15Kenmore, WA23.6
16Mukilteo, WA23.4
17Gig Harbor, WA22.8
18Camas, WA22.3
19Olympia, WA19.7
20Shoreline, WA19.5
21Mill Creek, WA19.3
22Bellingham, WA18.9
23Bothell, WA18.8
24Richland, WA18.8
25Ellensburg, WA18.4
26Anacortes, WA17.7
27Edmonds, WA16.9
28Poulsbo, WA16.9
29University Place, WA16.7
30Cheney, WA16
31West Richland, WA14.8
32Liberty Lake, WA14.4
33Maple Valley, WA14.3
34Tumwater, WA13.5
35Mountlake Terrace, WA13.4
36Washougal, WA12.9
37Ferndale, WA12.5
38Spokane, WA12.1
39Ridgefield, WA11.8
40Tacoma, WA11.6
41Walla Walla, WA11.6
42Port Angeles, WA11.4
43Port Orchard, WA11.3
44Renton, WA11.2
45Lacey, WA10.9
46Vancouver, WA10.7
47Oak Harbor, WA10.7
48Edgewood, WA9.9
49Des Moines, WA9.8
50Kennewick, WA9.8
51Mount Vernon, WA9.4
52Wenatchee, WA9.4
53Lynnwood, WA9.4
54Covington, WA9.1
55Bonney Lake, WA8.8
55Federal Way, WA8.8
57Burien, WA8.6
58Tukwila, WA8.4
59Lake Stevens, WA8.4
60Lynden, WA8.4
61Bremerton, WA8.4
62Puyallup, WA8.3
63Enumclaw, WA8.3
64Battle Ground, WA8.2
65Auburn, WA7.9
66Kent, WA7.8
67Everett, WA7.7
68Arlington, WA7.7
69Snohomish, WA7.6
70Spokane Valley, WA7.6
71Aberdeen, WA7.4
72Lakewood, WA7.1
73Pasco, WA7
73Yakima, WA7
75Fife, WA6.7
76Sumner, WA6.6
77Moses Lake, WA6.4
78Longview, WA6.4
79East Wenatchee, WA6.2
80Yelm, WA6
81Airway Heights, WA5.7
82Burlington, WA5.6
83Marysville, WA5.6
84SeaTac, WA5.5
85Monroe, WA5.3
86Centralia, WA4.6
87Sedro-Woolley, WA4.5
88Sunnyside, WA3.9
89Shelton, WA2.8
90Kelso, WA2.2
91Grandview, WA1.3

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 Washington 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 Washington 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/washington-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 Washington 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/washington-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 Washington 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/washington-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_washington_by_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 Washington 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/washington-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 Washington 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/washington-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/washington-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 Washington 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?

Mercer Island, WA, with 38.2% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Grandview, WA, with 1.3% 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 Washington: more rankings