RANKING · 2024 ACS · 87 SHOWN OF 87

Most college graduates, Iowa cities

Iowa cities with the most adults 25 and over holding a bachelor's degree or higher, as of the 2024 American Community Survey. Ranked by number of graduates, not the share. This list covers the 87 cities in Iowa that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 87 is 2,015. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Tiffin, IA, up 34 places to #39.

IowaAll statesPop > 5KAll rankings

SAME RANKING BYCounties States Metros

YEAR2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPCOLLEGE GRADUATESVS 2020

01Des Moines, IAIA212,08641,668+6%

02Cedar Rapids, IAIA137,93531,048+5%

03West Des Moines, IAIA74,22427,223+9%

04▲1Ankeny, IAIA77,83324,328+15%

05▼1Iowa City, IAIA76,22923,8790%

06▲1Davenport, IAIA100,35820,553+12%

07▼1Ames, IAIA68,22020,133+8%

08Urbandale, IAIA48,57016,304+11%

09Bettendorf, IAIA40,71013,701+9%

10Dubuque, IAIA59,14813,650+10%

11Sioux City, IAIA86,35612,405+8%

12Cedar Falls, IAIA41,24011,361+6%

13▲4Waukee, IAIA34,89011,241+36%

14Marion, IAIA42,73211,199+14%

15▼2Waterloo, IAIA66,9199,711−5%

16Council Bluffs, IAIA62,6809,140+10%

17▼2Coralville, IAIA23,9609,060+4%

18Johnston, IAIA25,0658,917+13%

19Clive, IAIA19,8617,855+13%

20North Liberty, IAIA21,9767,297+13%

21▲1Grimes, IAIA17,4055,379+41%

22▲3Altoona, IAIA22,7964,804+34%

23▼2Mason City, IAIA26,8534,011+2%

24▲7Norwalk, IAIA15,0043,801+24%

25▲5Burlington, IAIA23,3363,787+23%

26▼3Fairfield, IAIA9,2203,714+3%

27▼3Marshalltown, IAIA27,5363,656+2%

28▼2Clinton, IAIA24,0493,608+5%

29▲3Indianola, IAIA16,8293,550+17%

30▼2Fort Dodge, IAIA24,8373,521+7%

31▼4Ottumwa, IAIA25,3193,478+5%

32▼3Muscatine, IAIA23,1643,270+5%

33Pella, IAIA10,9923,017+11%

34Waverly, IAIA10,5612,749+8%

35Pleasant Hill, IAIA11,2392,655+20%

36▲11Bondurant, IAIA9,6472,597+62%

37▲13Eldridge, IAIA6,9542,498+72%

38▲3Spencer, IAIA11,2182,370+28%

39▲34Tiffin, IAIA7,1562,253+192%

40▼4Grinnell, IAIA9,4302,162+1%

41▲4Newton, IAIA15,7412,140+29%

42▲1Boone, IAIA12,4712,126+20%

43▼4Decorah, IAIA7,4172,037+8%

44▼2Carroll, IAIA10,0852,015+12%

45▼8Sioux Center, IAIA8,8641,941−4%

46▼2Oskaloosa, IAIA11,4931,932+12%

47▼9Asbury, IAIA6,0351,928+1%

48▲1Polk City, IAIA6,6301,809+24%

49▼9Clear Lake, IAIA7,6011,775−5%

50▲1Windsor Heights, IAIA5,0591,756+25%

51▲16Knoxville, IAIA7,4691,626+72%

52▲2Adel, IAIA7,0981,583+19%

53Orange City, IAIA6,4681,557+15%

54▼6Le Mars, IAIA10,7601,489−4%

55▲3Hiawatha, IAIA7,4321,485+19%

56▼4Mount Pleasant, IAIA8,5001,402+1%

57▼11Nevada, IAIA6,9741,390−15%

58▲1Fort Madison, IAIA9,9351,332+14%

59▲9DeWitt, IAIA5,7041,304+44%

60▲4Storm Lake, IAIA11,5901,275+24%

61▼4Sergeant Bluff, IAIA5,3241,259−3%

62▼1Keokuk, IAIA9,5101,205+5%

63▲3Washington, IAIA7,2611,205+25%

64▼4Creston, IAIA7,3351,172+1%

65▼9Webster City, IAIA7,8151,172−10%

66▼11Atlantic, IAIA6,6761,138−13%

67▼4Independence, IAIA6,3121,075−1%

68▲10Vinton, IAIA5,0041,013+50%

69▼7Spirit Lake, IAIA5,5251,001−10%

70▲2Glenwood, IAIA5,287982+27%

71▲4Algona, IAIA5,309977+34%

72▲8Manchester, IAIA5,357966+44%

73▼2Cherokee, IAIA5,122911+16%

74▲5Denison, IAIA8,214902+33%

75▲12Perry, IAIA8,208901+100%

76▲9Maquoketa, IAIA6,027857+39%

77▼1Iowa Falls, IAIA5,013812+16%

78▼9Winterset, IAIA5,520782−11%

79▼5Sheldon, IAIA5,575778+5%

80▲1Anamosa, IAIA5,901758+14%

81▲1Oelwein, IAIA5,757731+11%

82▲2Red Oak, IAIA5,388669+3%

83▼18Charles City, IAIA7,013646−34%

84▼7Centerville, IAIA5,327636−9%

85▼15Estherville, IAIA5,807545−33%

86▼3Clarinda, IAIA5,273542−17%

87▼1Osceola, IAIA5,679513+8%

SHOWING 1–87 OF 87

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