RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most college graduates, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties 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 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 8,603. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Currituck County, NC, up 10 places to #56.

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPCOLLEGE GRADUATESVS 2020

01Wake County, NCNC1,257,235458,774+16%

02Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383386,379+14%

03Guilford County, NCNC562,234141,762+9%

04Durham County, NCNC347,240128,357+18%

05Forsyth County, NCNC401,718101,178+17%

06Buncombe County, NCNC277,41794,094+19%

07New Hanover County, NCNC245,95974,556+11%

08▲1Union County, NCNC267,67465,974+21%

09▲2Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72559,639+27%

10Cumberland County, NCNC338,47358,638+10%

11▼3Orange County, NCNC152,49858,319+5%

12Iredell County, NCNC211,79846,827+28%

13▲2Johnston County, NCNC256,44845,373+40%

14Gaston County, NCNC246,55843,317+27%

15▲1Brunswick County, NCNC174,70242,693+33%

16▼3Pitt County, NCNC182,93636,358+3%

17Alamance County, NCNC186,17734,376+21%

18▲1Henderson County, NCNC122,37532,432+19%

19▼1Moore County, NCNC110,61931,066+11%

20Catawba County, NCNC170,17229,900+18%

21Onslow County, NCNC217,17529,721+18%

22Chatham County, NCNC85,11129,042+23%

23Davidson County, NCNC180,18226,533+19%

24▲1Rowan County, NCNC155,09624,150+25%

25▼1Harnett County, NCNC150,13722,537+17%

26Craven County, NCNC105,02519,161+13%

27▲3Lincoln County, NCNC98,65418,925+35%

28▲1Carteret County, NCNC70,46918,381+22%

29▼1Randolph County, NCNC149,51618,229+13%

30▼3Wayne County, NCNC122,27817,204+5%

31▲2Cleveland County, NCNC103,32515,301+16%

32▼1Watauga County, NCNC54,78614,956+7%

33▼1Nash County, NCNC99,36514,862+7%

34▲1Pender County, NCNC72,11114,190+12%

35▲6Franklin County, NCNC82,03714,061+40%

36▼2Haywood County, NCNC63,36914,047+8%

37▲1Burke County, NCNC88,65513,658+24%

38▲1Dare County, NCNC38,24512,479+18%

39▼2Wilson County, NCNC81,15011,799+6%

40▲2Rockingham County, NCNC94,19511,322+13%

41▲2Caldwell County, NCNC81,10511,007+17%

42▼6Robeson County, NCNC119,94110,997−8%

43▼3Granville County, NCNC61,42110,964+9%

44▲1Surry County, NCNC72,28710,358+14%

45▲1Transylvania County, NCNC34,21110,357+18%

46▼2Rutherford County, NCNC65,74510,143+10%

47Lee County, NCNC70,2589,538+12%

48▲2Stanly County, NCNC68,8309,018+17%

49▼1Jackson County, NCNC45,0398,795+10%

50▲1Davie County, NCNC45,8558,603+16%

51▲2Hoke County, NCNC56,9398,218+27%

52▼3Wilkes County, NCNC66,2338,063+2%

53▲1Macon County, NCNC39,2328,020+26%

54▲1Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2017,738+22%

55▼3Beaufort County, NCNC44,6706,960−2%

56▲10Currituck County, NCNC33,1586,783+38%

57▼1Sampson County, NCNC61,5046,464+5%

58Lenoir County, NCNC55,8376,243+2%

59▲10Stokes County, NCNC46,1266,109+36%

60▼3McDowell County, NCNC45,1985,958−2%

61▼2Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1215,930+1%

62▼2Duplin County, NCNC51,5715,891+1%

63▲1Polk County, NCNC20,5335,733+9%

64▲3Cherokee County, NCNC30,8305,601+17%

65▼3Halifax County, NCNC46,5345,493+4%

66▲4Person County, NCNC40,6365,432+22%

67▲5Ashe County, NCNC27,5145,363+30%

68▼3Columbus County, NCNC50,4875,188+2%

69▼1Madison County, NCNC22,5535,136+9%

70▼7Vance County, NCNC42,6384,906−7%

71▲4Yadkin County, NCNC38,3254,703+35%

72▼11Richmond County, NCNC42,0414,633−15%

73Alexander County, NCNC36,9584,462+17%

74▼3Bladen County, NCNC30,0074,143−5%

75▼1Scotland County, NCNC33,3223,772+3%

76▲1Montgomery County, NCNC26,4033,633+17%

77▲1Yancey County, NCNC19,0843,584+32%

78▼2Avery County, NCNC18,1103,387+7%

79▲1Caswell County, NCNC22,5632,955+13%

80▲3Clay County, NCNC12,2392,869+22%

81▲1Mitchell County, NCNC15,0622,715+10%

82▲4Warren County, NCNC18,8982,690+21%

83▼2Martin County, NCNC21,6012,643+6%

84Chowan County, NCNC14,0822,609+13%

85▲2Pamlico County, NCNC12,7582,541+18%

86▲2Bertie County, NCNC17,0862,483+20%

87▼8Hertford County, NCNC19,0152,299−13%

88▼3Northampton County, NCNC16,4912,297+2%

89▲5Camden County, NCNC11,3152,160+42%

90Perquimans County, NCNC13,4902,158+8%

91▼2Swain County, NCNC14,0242,126+5%

92Alleghany County, NCNC11,4792,051+16%

93Greene County, NCNC20,7001,792+15%

94▼3Anson County, NCNC21,7581,600−18%

95▲2Jones County, NCNC9,5751,385+36%

96▼1Washington County, NCNC10,6381,171+11%

97▲1Graham County, NCNC8,1901,058+29%

98▼2Gates County, NCNC10,234829−21%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554534+33%

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537357+11%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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