RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Fewest graduate degrees, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties with the smallest share of adults 25+ holding a graduate or professional degree (2024 ACS). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 8.3%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Martin County, NC, up 30 places to #5.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPGRADUATE DEGREEVS 2000

01▲5Anson County, NCNC21,7582.7%+0.1 pts

02▲2Greene County, NCNC20,7003.0%−0.1 pts

03▼1Hyde County, NCNC4,5543.9%+0.8 pts

04▲16Gates County, NCNC10,2344.3%+2.1 pts

05▲30Martin County, NCNC21,6014.4%+1.1 pts

06▲5Sampson County, NCNC61,5044.7%+1.4 pts

07Jones County, NCNC9,5754.7%+2.1 pts

08▼7Washington County, NCNC10,6384.8%+1.1 pts

09▲30Vance County, NCNC42,6384.8%+1.6 pts

10▲2Duplin County, NCNC51,5714.8%+1.7 pts

11▼2Columbus County, NCNC50,4874.9%+1.5 pts

12▲3Randolph County, NCNC149,5165.0%+2.1 pts

13▲5Robeson County, NCNC119,9415.1%+1.4 pts

14▲5Halifax County, NCNC46,5345.2%+2.1 pts

15▼10Yadkin County, NCNC38,3255.3%+2.3 pts

16▼3Graham County, NCNC8,1905.3%+1.4 pts

17▼7Alexander County, NCNC36,9585.4%+2.7 pts

18▲6Stanly County, NCNC68,8305.5%+1.9 pts

19▼16Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5375.5%+2.8 pts

20▼4Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1215.6%+3.2 pts

21▲23Richmond County, NCNC42,0415.7%+2.2 pts

22▲3Rockingham County, NCNC94,1955.7%+2.5 pts

23▲7McDowell County, NCNC45,1985.7%+3.1 pts

24▲5Caswell County, NCNC22,5635.8%+3.5 pts

25▲2Bladen County, NCNC30,0075.9%+2.8 pts

26▼12Lenoir County, NCNC55,8375.9%+2.2 pts

27▼4Wilkes County, NCNC66,2336.1%+2.5 pts

28▼20Stokes County, NCNC46,1266.2%+3.9 pts

29▼7Caldwell County, NCNC81,1056.2%+3.1 pts

30▲19Hertford County, NCNC19,0156.4%+2.8 pts

31▼14Person County, NCNC40,6366.4%+3.9 pts

32▲4Bertie County, NCNC17,0866.5%+4.0 pts

33▼2Warren County, NCNC18,8986.5%+2.1 pts

34▲8Wayne County, NCNC122,2786.6%+1.9 pts

35▼7Scotland County, NCNC33,3226.6%+1.3 pts

36▼3Davidson County, NCNC180,1826.7%+3.5 pts

37▼16Northampton County, NCNC16,4916.9%+4.5 pts

38▼12Montgomery County, NCNC26,4036.9%+4.2 pts

39▼5Surry County, NCNC72,2877.1%+3.8 pts

40▲26Beaufort County, NCNC44,6707.1%+2.0 pts

41Lee County, NCNC70,2587.2%+1.3 pts

42▲5Nash County, NCNC99,3657.2%+2.4 pts

43▼11Rowan County, NCNC155,0967.3%+3.4 pts

44▼4Burke County, NCNC88,6557.4%+3.5 pts

45▲5Catawba County, NCNC170,1727.7%+2.9 pts

46▼9Hoke County, NCNC56,9397.7%+4.4 pts

47▲20Alleghany County, NCNC11,4797.8%+4.3 pts

48▲8Cleveland County, NCNC103,3258.0%+3.7 pts

49▼6Rutherford County, NCNC65,7458.2%+4.3 pts

50▼2Wilson County, NCNC81,1508.2%+4.3 pts

51▲1Johnston County, NCNC256,4488.3%+4.6 pts

52▲16Yancey County, NCNC19,0848.3%+4.0 pts

53▲1Harnett County, NCNC150,1378.4%+5.0 pts

54▼8Ashe County, NCNC27,5148.4%+4.5 pts

55▼4Gaston County, NCNC246,5588.4%+4.6 pts

56▲13Cherokee County, NCNC30,8308.5%+4.6 pts

57▲2Granville County, NCNC61,4218.5%+4.9 pts

58▲15Avery County, NCNC18,1108.5%+3.3 pts

59▼2Lincoln County, NCNC98,6548.8%+5.4 pts

60▼22Franklin County, NCNC82,0378.9%+5.5 pts

61▲9Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2018.9%+4.1 pts

62▼7Onslow County, NCNC217,1759.1%+4.6 pts

63▼2Perquimans County, NCNC13,4909.1%+5.4 pts

64▲1Davie County, NCNC45,8559.3%+4.3 pts

65▼7Mitchell County, NCNC15,0629.5%+5.2 pts

66▼2Chowan County, NCNC14,0829.5%+4.3 pts

67▼7Alamance County, NCNC186,1779.6%+4.2 pts

68▲6Clay County, NCNC12,2399.8%+3.7 pts

69▼16Currituck County, NCNC33,1589.9%+6.9 pts

70▼8Swain County, NCNC14,02410.0%+5.8 pts

71Cumberland County, NCNC338,47310.1%+4.1 pts

72▲5Pender County, NCNC72,11110.1%+6.5 pts

73▼10Macon County, NCNC39,23210.6%+4.9 pts

74▲1Craven County, NCNC105,02510.7%+4.9 pts

75▲5Madison County, NCNC22,55311.1%+4.6 pts

76▼4Iredell County, NCNC211,79811.1%+6.4 pts

77▲2Haywood County, NCNC63,36911.5%+5.5 pts

78▼33Camden County, NCNC11,31511.6%+6.4 pts

79▼3Pamlico County, NCNC12,75811.6%+6.4 pts

80▼2Brunswick County, NCNC174,70212.7%+7.6 pts

81▲2Carteret County, NCNC70,46912.9%+6.2 pts

82▲6Jackson County, NCNC45,03913.2%+1.6 pts

83▲4Dare County, NCNC38,24513.2%+4.7 pts

84▼2Henderson County, NCNC122,37513.5%+5.0 pts

85Polk County, NCNC20,53313.8%+4.2 pts

86Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72513.9%+9.2 pts

87▼6Union County, NCNC267,67414.1%+8.5 pts

88▼4Pitt County, NCNC182,93614.3%+5.0 pts

89▲2Guilford County, NCNC562,23414.8%+5.7 pts

90Forsyth County, NCNC401,71815.1%+5.6 pts

91▼2Transylvania County, NCNC34,21115.5%+6.5 pts

92New Hanover County, NCNC245,95916.0%+7.3 pts

93Moore County, NCNC110,61917.7%+8.3 pts

94Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38317.9%+7.4 pts

95Buncombe County, NCNC277,41719.0%+10.1 pts

96Watauga County, NCNC54,78621.7%+7.3 pts

97Chatham County, NCNC85,11123.2%+11.6 pts

98Wake County, NCNC1,257,23523.4%+9.1 pts

99Durham County, NCNC347,24026.3%+8.9 pts

100Orange County, NCNC152,49834.6%+7.4 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES