Data / Rankings / High school graduate or higher, population 25 and over / Cities in North Carolina

Cities in North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over

Weddington, NC had the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over of 93 cities in 2023, at 98.3%. Morganton, NC had the lowest, at 76.9%. The median was 91.9% and the figure for North Carolina was 89.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest98.3Weddington, NC
Lowest76.9Morganton, NC
Median91.993 cities
North Carolina89.8History

Top 40 cities, 2023

Weddington, NC: 98.3 %Weddington, NC98.3Pinehurst, NC: 98.1 %Pinehurst, NC98.1Morrisville, NC: 98 %Morrisville, NC98Apex, NC: 97.7 %Apex, NC97.7Rolesville, NC: 97.3 %Rolesville, NC97.3Davidson, NC: 97 %Davidson, NC97Summerfield, NC: 97 %Summerfield, NC97Huntersville, NC: 97 %Huntersville, NC97Cornelius, NC: 96.9 %Cornelius, NC96.9Fuquay-Varina, NC: 96.5 %Fuquay-Varina, NC96.5Cary, NC: 96.3 %Cary, NC96.3Chapel Hill, NC: 96.2 %Chapel Hill, NC96.2Waxhaw, NC: 96.2 %Waxhaw, NC96.2Leland, NC: 96 %Leland, NC96Wake Forest, NC: 95.8 %Wake Forest, NC95.8Holly Springs, NC: 95.7 %Holly Springs, NC95.7Lewisville, NC: 95.4 %Lewisville, NC95.4Aberdeen, NC: 95.2 %Aberdeen, NC95.2Carrboro, NC: 95 %Carrboro, NC95Knightdale, NC: 95 %Knightdale, NC95Mooresville, NC: 94.8 %Mooresville, NC94.8Jacksonville, NC: 94.8 %Jacksonville, NC94.8Matthews, NC: 94.8 %Matthews, NC94.8Harrisburg, NC: 94.8 %Harrisburg, NC94.8Clayton, NC: 94.7 %Clayton, NC94.7Garner, NC: 94.7 %Garner, NC94.7Stallings, NC: 94.7 %Stallings, NC94.7Pineville, NC: 94.5 %Pineville, NC94.5Havelock, NC: 94.5 %Havelock, NC94.5Elon, NC: 94.4 %Elon, NC94.4Clemmons, NC: 94.1 %Clemmons, NC94.1Greenville, NC: 93.8 %Greenville, NC93.8Wilmington, NC: 93.5 %Wilmington, NC93.5Asheville, NC: 93.5 %Asheville, NC93.5Fayetteville, NC: 93.4 %Fayetteville, NC93.4Southern Pines, NC: 93.3 %Southern Pines, NC93.3Mebane, NC: 93.2 %Mebane, NC93.2Indian Trail, NC: 93 %Indian Trail, NC93Hope Mills, NC: 93 %Hope Mills, NC93Boone, NC: 92.9 %Boone, NC92.9Weddington, NC: 98.3 %Weddington, NC98.3Pinehurst, NC: 98.1 %Pinehurst, NC98.1Morrisville, NC: 98 %Morrisville, NC98Apex, NC: 97.7 %Apex, NC97.7Rolesville, NC: 97.3 %Rolesville, NC97.3Davidson, NC: 97 %Davidson, NC97Summerfield, NC: 97 %Summerfield, NC97Huntersville, NC: 97 %Huntersville, NC97Cornelius, NC: 96.9 %Cornelius, NC96.9Fuquay-Varina, NC: 96.5 %Fuquay-Varina, NC96.5Cary, NC: 96.3 %Cary, NC96.3Chapel Hill, NC: 96.2 %Chapel Hill, NC96.2Waxhaw, NC: 96.2 %Waxhaw, NC96.2Leland, NC: 96 %Leland, NC96Wake Forest, NC: 95.8 %Wake Forest, NC95.8Holly Springs, NC: 95.7 %Holly Springs, NC95.7Lewisville, NC: 95.4 %Lewisville, NC95.4Aberdeen, NC: 95.2 %Aberdeen, NC95.2Carrboro, NC: 95 %Carrboro, NC95Knightdale, NC: 95 %Knightdale, NC95Mooresville, NC: 94.8 %Mooresville, NC94.8Jacksonville, NC: 94.8 %Jacksonville, NC94.8Matthews, NC: 94.8 %Matthews, NC94.8Harrisburg, NC: 94.8 %Harrisburg, NC94.8Clayton, NC: 94.7 %Clayton, NC94.7Garner, NC: 94.7 %Garner, NC94.7Stallings, NC: 94.7 %Stallings, NC94.7Pineville, NC: 94.5 %Pineville, NC94.5Havelock, NC: 94.5 %Havelock, NC94.5Elon, NC: 94.4 %Elon, NC94.4Clemmons, NC: 94.1 %Clemmons, NC94.1Greenville, NC: 93.8 %Greenville, NC93.8Wilmington, NC: 93.5 %Wilmington, NC93.5Asheville, NC: 93.5 %Asheville, NC93.5Fayetteville, NC: 93.4 %Fayetteville, NC93.4Southern Pines, NC: 93.3 %Southern Pines, NC93.3Mebane, NC: 93.2 %Mebane, NC93.2Indian Trail, NC: 93 %Indian Trail, NC93Hope Mills, NC: 93 %Hope Mills, NC93Boone, NC: 92.9 %Boone, NC92.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Weddington, NC98.3+0.5 pts
2Pinehurst, NC98.1-0 pts
3Morrisville, NC98+1 pts
4Apex, NC97.7-0.2 pts
5Rolesville, NC97.3-1.2 pts
6Davidson, NC970 pts
7Summerfield, NC97+1.4 pts
8Huntersville, NC97+0.2 pts
9Cornelius, NC96.9-0.4 pts
10Fuquay-Varina, NC96.5+1.3 pts
11Cary, NC96.3-0.4 pts
12Chapel Hill, NC96.2+0.6 pts
13Waxhaw, NC96.2-0.5 pts
14Leland, NC96-1.3 pts
15Wake Forest, NC95.8-0.8 pts
16Holly Springs, NC95.7+0.1 pts
17Lewisville, NC95.4-1.3 pts
18Aberdeen, NC95.2+1.7 pts
19Carrboro, NC95-0.9 pts
20Knightdale, NC95-0.3 pts
21Mooresville, NC94.8-0.3 pts
22Jacksonville, NC94.8+1.5 pts
23Matthews, NC94.8+0.2 pts
24Harrisburg, NC94.8-1.9 pts
25Clayton, NC94.70 pts
26Garner, NC94.7-0.1 pts
26Stallings, NC94.7-0 pts
28Pineville, NC94.50 pts
29Havelock, NC94.5+0.1 pts
30Elon, NC94.4-1 pts
31Clemmons, NC94.1-0.9 pts
32Greenville, NC93.8+0.4 pts
33Wilmington, NC93.5+0.2 pts
34Asheville, NC93.5+0.1 pts
35Fayetteville, NC93.4+0.3 pts
36Southern Pines, NC93.3-1.8 pts
37Mebane, NC93.2-0.4 pts
38Indian Trail, NC93-0.5 pts
39Hope Mills, NC93+0.4 pts
40Boone, NC92.9+1.2 pts
41Winterville, NC92.7+1.4 pts
42Mint Hill, NC92.7-0.6 pts
43Spring Lake, NC92.6+0.1 pts
44Hendersonville, NC92.5-0.6 pts
45Raleigh, NC92.5+0.1 pts
46Belmont, NC92.2-0.2 pts
47Mount Holly, NC91.9+0.1 pts
48Kernersville, NC91.6-0.1 pts
49New Bern, NC91.6+1.6 pts
50Wendell, NC91.5-1.6 pts
51Durham, NC91.4+0.1 pts
52Concord, NC91.3+0.1 pts
53Morehead City, NC90.3-0.7 pts
54Greensboro, NC90.10 pts
55Hickory, NC89.8-0.2 pts
56Charlotte, NC89.6-0.2 pts
57Shelby, NC89+0.9 pts
58Tarboro, NC88.7+0.2 pts
59Kannapolis, NC88.6+0.8 pts
60Elizabeth City, NC88.6-0.9 pts
61Gastonia, NC88.4+0.9 pts
62Winston-Salem, NC88.4+0.5 pts
63Goldsboro, NC88.3+0.7 pts
64Archdale, NC87.9-0.2 pts
65Roanoke Rapids, NC87.4+1.2 pts
66Lincolnton, NC87.3+2.2 pts
67Waynesville, NC87.1+0.3 pts
68Newton, NC87.1-1.7 pts
69Graham, NC87+0.3 pts
70Kings Mountain, NC86.8+1.2 pts
71Salisbury, NC86.6-0.7 pts
72Albemarle, NC86.5+0.9 pts
73Burlington, NC86.5+1.2 pts
74High Point, NC86.50 pts
75Rocky Mount, NC86.1-0.8 pts
76Statesville, NC85.7+0.3 pts
77Lenoir, NC84.5-0.2 pts
78Eden, NC84.5-0.2 pts
79Wilson, NC84.4+0.9 pts
80Mount Airy, NC83.9-1.3 pts
81Laurinburg, NC83.3-0.2 pts
82Asheboro, NC83.3+1 pts
83Reidsville, NC82.9-0.6 pts
84Henderson, NC82.3+0.2 pts
85Thomasville, NC82.1+0.9 pts
86Monroe, NC81.5-0.8 pts
87Kinston, NC81.2+0.2 pts
88Lexington, NC80.2+1.6 pts
89Sanford, NC79.6-0.5 pts
90Lumberton, NC79.5+0.3 pts
91Smithfield, NC78.8-0.5 pts
92Zebulon, NC78.1+2.8 pts
93Morganton, NC76.9+0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 and over who hold a regular high school diploma, a GED or alternative credential, or any higher level of education, 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.

Measures the adult population, not students: it is not the high school graduation rate of a class. Not comparable with the EU share below upper secondary education, which covers ages 25 to 64.

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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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/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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a high school diploma, GED or higher 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/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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-cities?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a high school diploma, GED or higher 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in North Carolina by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"high_school_graduate_share","level":"municipality","within":"North Carolina","limit":10}
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Questions

Which city has the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over?

Weddington, NC, with 98.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over?

Morganton, NC, with 76.9% 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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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.

High school graduate or higher, population 25 and over: other rankings

Cities in North Carolina: more rankings