RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most college graduates, North Carolina counties · 2020

North Carolina counties with the most adults 25 and over holding a bachelor's degree or higher, as of the 2020 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 –

01Wake County, NCNC1,257,235395,000–

02Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,383338,590–

03Guilford County, NCNC562,234130,366–

04Durham County, NCNC347,240108,453–

05Forsyth County, NCNC401,71886,341–

06Buncombe County, NCNC277,41779,322–

07New Hanover County, NCNC245,95967,230–

08Orange County, NCNC152,49855,545–

09Union County, NCNC267,67454,397–

10Cumberland County, NCNC338,47353,183–

11Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72547,123–

12Iredell County, NCNC211,79836,698–

13Pitt County, NCNC182,93635,349–

14Gaston County, NCNC246,55833,981–

15Johnston County, NCNC256,44832,484–

16Brunswick County, NCNC174,70232,133–

17Alamance County, NCNC186,17728,301–

18Moore County, NCNC110,61927,871–

19Henderson County, NCNC122,37527,352–

20Catawba County, NCNC170,17225,387–

21Onslow County, NCNC217,17525,116–

22Chatham County, NCNC85,11123,516–

23Davidson County, NCNC180,18222,226–

24Harnett County, NCNC150,13719,342–

25Rowan County, NCNC155,09619,334–

26Craven County, NCNC105,02516,899–

27Wayne County, NCNC122,27816,330–

28Randolph County, NCNC149,51616,071–

29Carteret County, NCNC70,46915,036–

30Lincoln County, NCNC98,65414,036–

31Watauga County, NCNC54,78613,965–

32Nash County, NCNC99,36513,842–

33Cleveland County, NCNC103,32513,135–

34Haywood County, NCNC63,36912,970–

35Pender County, NCNC72,11112,616–

36Robeson County, NCNC119,94111,970–

37Wilson County, NCNC81,15011,154–

38Burke County, NCNC88,65511,037–

39Dare County, NCNC38,24510,558–

40Granville County, NCNC61,42110,103–

41Franklin County, NCNC82,03710,046–

42Rockingham County, NCNC94,19510,019–

43Caldwell County, NCNC81,1059,369–

44Rutherford County, NCNC65,7459,247–

45Surry County, NCNC72,2879,103–

46Transylvania County, NCNC34,2118,811–

47Lee County, NCNC70,2588,483–

48Jackson County, NCNC45,0397,968–

49Wilkes County, NCNC66,2337,888–

50Stanly County, NCNC68,8307,679–

51Davie County, NCNC45,8557,397–

52Beaufort County, NCNC44,6707,113–

53Hoke County, NCNC56,9396,472–

54Macon County, NCNC39,2326,349–

55Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2016,342–

56Sampson County, NCNC61,5046,132–

57McDowell County, NCNC45,1986,109–

58Lenoir County, NCNC55,8376,097–

59Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1215,879–

60Duplin County, NCNC51,5715,838–

61Richmond County, NCNC42,0415,443–

62Halifax County, NCNC46,5345,291–

63Vance County, NCNC42,6385,288–

64Polk County, NCNC20,5335,265–

65Columbus County, NCNC50,4875,068–

66Currituck County, NCNC33,1584,913–

67Cherokee County, NCNC30,8304,805–

68Madison County, NCNC22,5534,694–

69Stokes County, NCNC46,1264,503–

70Person County, NCNC40,6364,444–

71Bladen County, NCNC30,0074,344–

72Ashe County, NCNC27,5144,124–

73Alexander County, NCNC36,9583,826–

74Scotland County, NCNC33,3223,665–

75Yadkin County, NCNC38,3253,475–

76Avery County, NCNC18,1103,171–

77Montgomery County, NCNC26,4033,108–

78Yancey County, NCNC19,0842,706–

79Hertford County, NCNC19,0152,654–

80Caswell County, NCNC22,5632,609–

81Martin County, NCNC21,6012,482–

82Mitchell County, NCNC15,0622,464–

83Clay County, NCNC12,2392,347–

84Chowan County, NCNC14,0822,307–

85Northampton County, NCNC16,4912,263–

86Warren County, NCNC18,8982,224–

87Pamlico County, NCNC12,7582,152–

88Bertie County, NCNC17,0862,074–

89Swain County, NCNC14,0242,018–

90Perquimans County, NCNC13,4901,992–

91Anson County, NCNC21,7581,952–

92Alleghany County, NCNC11,4791,768–

93Greene County, NCNC20,7001,561–

94Camden County, NCNC11,3151,524–

95Washington County, NCNC10,6381,058–

96Gates County, NCNC10,2341,045–

97Jones County, NCNC9,5751,017–

98Graham County, NCNC8,190819–

99Hyde County, NCNC4,554402–

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,537322–

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS