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

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

Dare County had the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over of 100 counties in 2023, at 95.2%. Greene County had the lowest, at 77.8%. The median was 87.9% and the figure for North Carolina was 89.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest95.2Dare County
Lowest77.8Greene County
Median87.9100 counties
North Carolina89.8History

Map of counties, 2023

Alamance County: 88.5 %Alexander County: 85.6 %Alleghany County: 83.1 %Anson County: 82.4 %Ashe County: 87.5 %Avery County: 86.4 %Beaufort County: 88.1 %Bertie County: 82 %Bladen County: 88.6 %Brunswick County: 93.3 %Buncombe County: 92.3 %Burke County: 85.1 %Cabarrus County: 91.8 %Caldwell County: 82.8 %Camden County: 93 %Carteret County: 92.7 %Caswell County: 83.7 %Catawba County: 87.5 %Chatham County: 90.4 %Cherokee County: 91.4 %Chowan County: 87.4 %Clay County: 89.9 %Cleveland County: 87.5 %Columbus County: 86.5 %Craven County: 91.8 %Cumberland County: 92.6 %Currituck County: 93.9 %Dare County: 95.2 %Davidson County: 87.7 %Davie County: 90.7 %Duplin County: 81.9 %Durham County: 90.7 %Edgecombe County: 84.4 %Forsyth County: 89.9 %Franklin County: 87.7 %Gaston County: 88.1 %Gates County: 89.6 %Graham County: 84.8 %Granville County: 86.6 %Greene County: 77.8 %Guilford County: 90.3 %Halifax County: 80.9 %Harnett County: 88.7 %Haywood County: 91.6 %Henderson County: 91.1 %Hertford County: 84.7 %Hoke County: 88.9 %Hyde County: 86.8 %Iredell County: 91.2 %Jackson County: 89.8 %Johnston County: 89.5 %Jones County: 86.5 %Lee County: 85.1 %Lenoir County: 82.5 %Lincoln County: 90 %McDowell County: 86.1 %Macon County: 90 %Madison County: 90.9 %Martin County: 83.3 %Mecklenburg County: 90.8 %Mitchell County: 89.7 %Montgomery County: 84 %Moore County: 92.7 %Nash County: 86.4 %New Hanover County: 93.6 %Northampton County: 84.5 %Onslow County: 93.2 %Orange County: 93.2 %Pamlico County: 90 %Pasquotank County: 90 %Pender County: 90.5 %Perquimans County: 86.7 %Person County: 89.1 %Pitt County: 90.9 %Polk County: 91.9 %Randolph County: 84 %Richmond County: 84.2 %Robeson County: 78.9 %Rockingham County: 84.4 %Rowan County: 88.1 %Rutherford County: 86.6 %Sampson County: 84.3 %Scotland County: 82.4 %Stanly County: 87.1 %Stokes County: 89.9 %Surry County: 82.7 %Swain County: 87.2 %Transylvania County: 93.8 %Tyrrell County: 80.5 %Union County: 90.4 %Vance County: 85.4 %Wake County: 94 %Warren County: 86.7 %Washington County: 85.6 %Watauga County: 92.4 %Wayne County: 86.4 %Wilkes County: 81.9 %Wilson County: 84.4 %Yadkin County: 86.5 %Yancey County: 88.1 %
  • Under 84
  • 84 to 86
  • 86 to 88
  • 88 to 90
  • 90 to 92
  • 92 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

Dare County: 95.2 %Dare County95.2Wake County: 94 %Wake County94Currituck County: 93.9 %Currituck County93.9Transylvania County: 93.8 %Transylvania County93.8New Hanover County: 93.6 %New Hanover County93.6Brunswick County: 93.3 %Brunswick County93.3Onslow County: 93.2 %Onslow County93.2Orange County: 93.2 %Orange County93.2Camden County: 93 %Camden County93Moore County: 92.7 %Moore County92.7Carteret County: 92.7 %Carteret County92.7Cumberland County: 92.6 %Cumberland County92.6Watauga County: 92.4 %Watauga County92.4Buncombe County: 92.3 %Buncombe County92.3Polk County: 91.9 %Polk County91.9Cabarrus County: 91.8 %Cabarrus County91.8Craven County: 91.8 %Craven County91.8Haywood County: 91.6 %Haywood County91.6Cherokee County: 91.4 %Cherokee County91.4Iredell County: 91.2 %Iredell County91.2Henderson County: 91.1 %Henderson County91.1Pitt County: 90.9 %Pitt County90.9Madison County: 90.9 %Madison County90.9Mecklenburg County: 90.8 %Mecklenburg County90.8Davie County: 90.7 %Davie County90.7Durham County: 90.7 %Durham County90.7Pender County: 90.5 %Pender County90.5Union County: 90.4 %Union County90.4Chatham County: 90.4 %Chatham County90.4Guilford County: 90.3 %Guilford County90.3Macon County: 90 %Macon County90Pamlico County: 90 %Pamlico County90Pasquotank County: 90 %Pasquotank County90Lincoln County: 90 %Lincoln County90Clay County: 89.9 %Clay County89.9Forsyth County: 89.9 %Forsyth County89.9Stokes County: 89.9 %Stokes County89.9Jackson County: 89.8 %Jackson County89.8Mitchell County: 89.7 %Mitchell County89.7Gates County: 89.6 %Gates County89.6Dare County: 95.2 %Dare County95.2Wake County: 94 %Wake County94Currituck County: 93.9 %Currituck County93.9Transylvania County: 93.8 %Transylvania County93.8New Hanover County: 93.6 %New Hanover County93.6Brunswick County: 93.3 %Brunswick County93.3Onslow County: 93.2 %Onslow County93.2Orange County: 93.2 %Orange County93.2Camden County: 93 %Camden County93Moore County: 92.7 %Moore County92.7Carteret County: 92.7 %Carteret County92.7Cumberland County: 92.6 %Cumberland County92.6Watauga County: 92.4 %Watauga County92.4Buncombe County: 92.3 %Buncombe County92.3Polk County: 91.9 %Polk County91.9Cabarrus County: 91.8 %Cabarrus County91.8Craven County: 91.8 %Craven County91.8Haywood County: 91.6 %Haywood County91.6Cherokee County: 91.4 %Cherokee County91.4Iredell County: 91.2 %Iredell County91.2Henderson County: 91.1 %Henderson County91.1Pitt County: 90.9 %Pitt County90.9Madison County: 90.9 %Madison County90.9Mecklenburg County: 90.8 %Mecklenburg County90.8Davie County: 90.7 %Davie County90.7Durham County: 90.7 %Durham County90.7Pender County: 90.5 %Pender County90.5Union County: 90.4 %Union County90.4Chatham County: 90.4 %Chatham County90.4Guilford County: 90.3 %Guilford County90.3Macon County: 90 %Macon County90Pamlico County: 90 %Pamlico County90Pasquotank County: 90 %Pasquotank County90Lincoln County: 90 %Lincoln County90Clay County: 89.9 %Clay County89.9Forsyth County: 89.9 %Forsyth County89.9Stokes County: 89.9 %Stokes County89.9Jackson County: 89.8 %Jackson County89.8Mitchell County: 89.7 %Mitchell County89.7Gates County: 89.6 %Gates County89.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Dare County95.2+0.3 pts
2Wake County94-0 pts
3Currituck County93.9+1.1 pts
4Transylvania County93.8+0.1 pts
5New Hanover County93.60 pts
6Brunswick County93.3-0.2 pts
7Onslow County93.2+1.2 pts
8Orange County93.2-0.2 pts
9Camden County93+0.7 pts
10Moore County92.7-0.1 pts
11Carteret County92.7+0.6 pts
12Cumberland County92.6+0.3 pts
13Watauga County92.4-0 pts
14Buncombe County92.3+0.2 pts
15Polk County91.9-0.9 pts
16Cabarrus County91.8-0.1 pts
17Craven County91.8+0.9 pts
18Haywood County91.6+1.2 pts
19Cherokee County91.4+0.3 pts
20Iredell County91.2+0.3 pts
21Henderson County91.1-0.4 pts
22Pitt County90.9+0.7 pts
23Madison County90.9+1.9 pts
24Mecklenburg County90.8-0.1 pts
25Davie County90.7+0.9 pts
26Durham County90.70 pts
27Pender County90.5+0.3 pts
28Union County90.4-0 pts
29Chatham County90.4+1 pts
30Guilford County90.3+0.2 pts
31Macon County90+0.6 pts
32Pamlico County90-0 pts
33Pasquotank County90+0.3 pts
34Lincoln County90+0.2 pts
35Clay County89.9+1.6 pts
36Forsyth County89.9+0.7 pts
37Stokes County89.9+2.4 pts
38Jackson County89.8+0.5 pts
39Mitchell County89.7-0.1 pts
40Gates County89.6-0.9 pts
41Johnston County89.5-0 pts
42Person County89.1+0.7 pts
43Hoke County88.9-0 pts
44Harnett County88.7+0.4 pts
45Bladen County88.6+0.4 pts
46Alamance County88.5+0.2 pts
47Yancey County88.1-0.4 pts
48Beaufort County88.1+1.3 pts
49Rowan County88.1+0.6 pts
50Gaston County88.1+0.4 pts
51Davidson County87.7+1.2 pts
52Franklin County87.7+0.7 pts
53Ashe County87.5+0.5 pts
53Catawba County87.5+0.1 pts
55Cleveland County87.5+0.7 pts
56Chowan County87.4+0.8 pts
57Swain County87.2+2 pts
58Stanly County87.1+1.1 pts
59Hyde County86.8+5.8 pts
60Warren County86.7+1.3 pts
61Perquimans County86.7+0.3 pts
62Granville County86.6+0.8 pts
63Rutherford County86.6+0.7 pts
64Columbus County86.5+0.9 pts
64Yadkin County86.5+0.1 pts
66Jones County86.5+0.7 pts
67Wayne County86.4+0.7 pts
68Nash County86.4-0.2 pts
69Avery County86.4-0.6 pts
70McDowell County86.1-0 pts
71Alexander County85.6-0.4 pts
72Washington County85.6-0.2 pts
73Vance County85.4+0.8 pts
74Lee County85.1-0 pts
75Burke County85.1+0.3 pts
76Graham County84.8+0.7 pts
77Hertford County84.7+0.8 pts
78Northampton County84.5+1 pts
79Wilson County84.4+1 pts
80Edgecombe County84.4-1.2 pts
80Rockingham County84.4+0.8 pts
82Sampson County84.3+1.7 pts
83Richmond County84.2+1.5 pts
84Montgomery County840 pts
84Randolph County84-0 pts
86Caswell County83.7-0 pts
87Martin County83.3+1.3 pts
88Alleghany County83.1+0.8 pts
89Caldwell County82.8+0.9 pts
90Surry County82.7+0.6 pts
91Lenoir County82.5+0.4 pts
92Anson County82.4-0.1 pts
93Scotland County82.4+0.1 pts
94Bertie County82+1.4 pts
95Duplin County81.9+1.6 pts
96Wilkes County81.9+0.4 pts
97Halifax County80.9-0.2 pts
98Tyrrell County80.5+3.2 pts
99Robeson County78.9+0.5 pts
100Greene County77.8+1.8 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 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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties 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, Counties 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-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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties 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-counties?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, Counties 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-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_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: Counties 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-counties?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. 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: Counties 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-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/north-carolina-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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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  -
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Questions

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

Dare County, with 95.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Greene County, with 77.8% 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. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings