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.

North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDMost educated Least educated Most graduate degrees Fewest graduate degrees

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%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16Pitt County, NCNC182,93636,358+3%

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

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

19Moore 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%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

33Nash County, NCNC99,36514,862+7%

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

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

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

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

38Dare County, NCNC38,24512,479+18%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

50Davie County, NCNC45,8558,603+16%

51Hoke County, NCNC56,9398,218+27%

52Wilkes County, NCNC66,2338,063+2%

53Macon County, NCNC39,2328,020+26%

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

55Beaufort County, NCNC44,6706,960−2%

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

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

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

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

60McDowell County, NCNC45,1985,958−2%

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

62Duplin County, NCNC51,5715,891+1%

63Polk County, NCNC20,5335,733+9%

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

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

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

67Ashe County, NCNC27,5145,363+30%

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

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

70Vance County, NCNC42,6384,906−7%

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

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

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

74Bladen County, NCNC30,0074,143−5%

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

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

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

78Avery County, NCNC18,1103,387+7%

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

80Clay County, NCNC12,2392,869+22%

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

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

83Martin County, NCNC21,6012,643+6%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

91Swain County, NCNC14,0242,126+5%

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

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

94Anson County, NCNC21,7581,600−18%

95Jones County, NCNC9,5751,385+36%

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

97Graham County, NCNC8,1901,058+29%

98Gates County, NCNC10,234829−21%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554534+33%

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537357+11%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES