Data / Rankings / High school graduate or higher, population 25 and over / US states

US states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over

Montana had the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over of 51 states in 2022, at 94.5%. California had the lowest, at 84.4%. The median was 91.2% and the figure for the United States was 89.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest94.5Montana
Lowest84.4California
Median91.251 states
United States89.1History

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 87.7 %Alaska: 93.5 %Arizona: 88.7 %Arkansas: 88.2 %California: 84.4 %Colorado: 92.5 %Connecticut: 91.3 %Delaware: 91.2 %District of Columbia: 92.7 %Florida: 89.3 %Georgia: 88.7 %Hawaii: 92.7 %Idaho: 91.4 %Illinois: 90.1 %Indiana: 90 %Iowa: 93 %Kansas: 91.8 %Kentucky: 88.2 %Louisiana: 86.7 %Maine: 94.1 %Maryland: 91 %Massachusetts: 91.2 %Michigan: 91.8 %Minnesota: 93.7 %Mississippi: 86.2 %Missouri: 91.3 %Montana: 94.5 %Nebraska: 91.9 %Nevada: 87.1 %New Hampshire: 93.8 %New Jersey: 90.6 %New Mexico: 87.1 %New York: 87.6 %North Carolina: 89.4 %North Dakota: 93.5 %Ohio: 91.4 %Oklahoma: 89 %Oregon: 91.6 %Pennsylvania: 91.7 %Rhode Island: 89.4 %South Carolina: 89.3 %South Dakota: 92.7 %Tennessee: 89.3 %Texas: 85.2 %Utah: 93.2 %Vermont: 94.2 %Virginia: 91.1 %Washington: 92.1 %West Virginia: 88.4 %Wisconsin: 93.1 %Wyoming: 94 %
  • Under 88
  • 88 to 89
  • 89 to 91
  • 91 to 92
  • 92 to 93
  • 93 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2022

Montana: 94.5 %Montana94.5Vermont: 94.2 %Vermont94.2Maine: 94.1 %Maine94.1Wyoming: 94 %Wyoming94New Hampshire: 93.8 %New Hampshire93.8Minnesota: 93.7 %Minnesota93.7North Dakota: 93.5 %North Dakota93.5Alaska: 93.5 %Alaska93.5Utah: 93.2 %Utah93.2Wisconsin: 93.1 %Wisconsin93.1Iowa: 93 %Iowa93Hawaii: 92.7 %Hawaii92.7District of Columbia: 92.7 %District of Columbia92.7South Dakota: 92.7 %South Dakota92.7Colorado: 92.5 %Colorado92.5Washington: 92.1 %Washington92.1Nebraska: 91.9 %Nebraska91.9Kansas: 91.8 %Kansas91.8Michigan: 91.8 %Michigan91.8Pennsylvania: 91.7 %Pennsylvania91.7Oregon: 91.6 %Oregon91.6Idaho: 91.4 %Idaho91.4Ohio: 91.4 %Ohio91.4Missouri: 91.3 %Missouri91.3Connecticut: 91.3 %Connecticut91.3Delaware: 91.2 %Delaware91.2Massachusetts: 91.2 %Massachusetts91.2Virginia: 91.1 %Virginia91.1Maryland: 91 %Maryland91New Jersey: 90.6 %New Jersey90.6Illinois: 90.1 %Illinois90.1Indiana: 90 %Indiana90North Carolina: 89.4 %North Carolina89.4Rhode Island: 89.4 %Rhode Island89.4South Carolina: 89.3 %South Carolina89.3Florida: 89.3 %Florida89.3Tennessee: 89.3 %Tennessee89.3Oklahoma: 89 %Oklahoma89Arizona: 88.7 %Arizona88.7Georgia: 88.7 %Georgia88.7West Virginia: 88.4 %West Virginia88.4Arkansas: 88.2 %Arkansas88.2Kentucky: 88.2 %Kentucky88.2Alabama: 87.7 %Alabama87.7New York: 87.6 %New York87.6New Mexico: 87.1 %New Mexico87.1Nevada: 87.1 %Nevada87.1Louisiana: 86.7 %Louisiana86.7Mississippi: 86.2 %Mississippi86.2Texas: 85.2 %Texas85.2California: 84.4 %California84.4Montana: 94.5 %Montana94.5Vermont: 94.2 %Vermont94.2Maine: 94.1 %Maine94.1Wyoming: 94 %Wyoming94New Hampshire: 93.8 %New Hampshire93.8Minnesota: 93.7 %Minnesota93.7North Dakota: 93.5 %North Dakota93.5Alaska: 93.5 %Alaska93.5Utah: 93.2 %Utah93.2Wisconsin: 93.1 %Wisconsin93.1Iowa: 93 %Iowa93Hawaii: 92.7 %Hawaii92.7District of Columbia: 92.7 %District of Columbia92.7South Dakota: 92.7 %South Dakota92.7Colorado: 92.5 %Colorado92.5Washington: 92.1 %Washington92.1Nebraska: 91.9 %Nebraska91.9Kansas: 91.8 %Kansas91.8Michigan: 91.8 %Michigan91.8Pennsylvania: 91.7 %Pennsylvania91.7Oregon: 91.6 %Oregon91.6Idaho: 91.4 %Idaho91.4Ohio: 91.4 %Ohio91.4Missouri: 91.3 %Missouri91.3Connecticut: 91.3 %Connecticut91.3Delaware: 91.2 %Delaware91.2Massachusetts: 91.2 %Massachusetts91.2Virginia: 91.1 %Virginia91.1Maryland: 91 %Maryland91New Jersey: 90.6 %New Jersey90.6Illinois: 90.1 %Illinois90.1Indiana: 90 %Indiana90North Carolina: 89.4 %North Carolina89.4Rhode Island: 89.4 %Rhode Island89.4South Carolina: 89.3 %South Carolina89.3Florida: 89.3 %Florida89.3Tennessee: 89.3 %Tennessee89.3Oklahoma: 89 %Oklahoma89Arizona: 88.7 %Arizona88.7Georgia: 88.7 %Georgia88.7West Virginia: 88.4 %West Virginia88.4Arkansas: 88.2 %Arkansas88.2Kentucky: 88.2 %Kentucky88.2Alabama: 87.7 %Alabama87.7New York: 87.6 %New York87.6New Mexico: 87.1 %New Mexico87.1Nevada: 87.1 %Nevada87.1Louisiana: 86.7 %Louisiana86.7Mississippi: 86.2 %Mississippi86.2Texas: 85.2 %Texas85.2California: 84.4 %California84.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Montana94.5+0.1 pts
2Vermont94.2+0.3 pts
3Maine94.1+0.4 pts
4Wyoming94+0.2 pts
5New Hampshire93.8+0.2 pts
6Minnesota93.7+0.2 pts
7North Dakota93.5+0.2 pts
8Alaska93.5+0.2 pts
9Utah93.2+0.1 pts
10Wisconsin93.1+0.2 pts
11Iowa93+0.2 pts
12Hawaii92.70 pts
13District of Columbia92.7+0.5 pts
14South Dakota92.7+0.2 pts
15Colorado92.5+0.2 pts
16Washington92.1+0.2 pts
17Nebraska91.9+0.2 pts
18Kansas91.8+0.2 pts
19Michigan91.8+0.2 pts
20Pennsylvania91.7+0.3 pts
21Oregon91.60 pts
22Idaho91.4+0.3 pts
23Ohio91.4+0.3 pts
24Missouri91.3+0.3 pts
25Connecticut91.3+0.2 pts
26Delaware91.2+0.2 pts
27Massachusetts91.2+0.1 pts
28Virginia91.1+0.3 pts
29Maryland91+0.2 pts
30New Jersey90.6+0.1 pts
31Illinois90.1+0.2 pts
32Indiana90+0.2 pts
33North Carolina89.4+0.4 pts
34Rhode Island89.4+0.3 pts
35South Carolina89.3+0.5 pts
36Florida89.3+0.2 pts
36Tennessee89.3+0.5 pts
38Oklahoma89+0.2 pts
39Arizona88.7+0.4 pts
39Georgia88.7+0.5 pts
41West Virginia88.4+0.4 pts
42Arkansas88.2+0.5 pts
43Kentucky88.2+0.5 pts
44Alabama87.7+0.3 pts
45New York87.6+0.2 pts
46New Mexico87.1+0.4 pts
47Nevada87.10 pts
48Louisiana86.7+0.5 pts
49Mississippi86.2+0.6 pts
50Texas85.2+0.4 pts
51California84.4+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 states 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022. 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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022.

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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_high_2022,
  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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over, 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/us-states?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank US states by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Montana, with 94.5% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

California, with 84.4% in 2022.

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

US states: more rankings