RANKING · 2024 ACS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most graduate degrees, North Carolina counties

North Carolina counties ranked by the 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: Camden County, NC, up 33 places to #23.

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North CarolinaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPGRADUATE DEGREEVS 2000

01Orange County, NCNC152,49834.6%+7.4 pts

02Durham County, NCNC347,24026.3%+8.9 pts

03Wake County, NCNC1,257,23523.4%+9.1 pts

04Chatham County, NCNC85,11123.2%+11.6 pts

05Watauga County, NCNC54,78621.7%+7.3 pts

06Buncombe County, NCNC277,41719.0%+10.1 pts

07Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38317.9%+7.4 pts

08Moore County, NCNC110,61917.7%+8.3 pts

09New Hanover County, NCNC245,95916.0%+7.3 pts

10▲2Transylvania County, NCNC34,21115.5%+6.5 pts

11Forsyth County, NCNC401,71815.1%+5.6 pts

12▼2Guilford County, NCNC562,23414.8%+5.7 pts

13▲4Pitt County, NCNC182,93614.3%+5.0 pts

14▲6Union County, NCNC267,67414.1%+8.5 pts

15Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72513.9%+9.2 pts

16Polk County, NCNC20,53313.8%+4.2 pts

17▲2Henderson County, NCNC122,37513.5%+5.0 pts

18▼4Dare County, NCNC38,24513.2%+4.7 pts

19▼6Jackson County, NCNC45,03913.2%+1.6 pts

20▼2Carteret County, NCNC70,46912.9%+6.2 pts

21▲2Brunswick County, NCNC174,70212.7%+7.6 pts

22▲3Pamlico County, NCNC12,75811.6%+6.4 pts

23▲33Camden County, NCNC11,31511.6%+6.4 pts

24▼2Haywood County, NCNC63,36911.5%+5.5 pts

25▲4Iredell County, NCNC211,79811.1%+6.4 pts

26▼5Madison County, NCNC22,55311.1%+4.6 pts

27▼1Craven County, NCNC105,02510.7%+4.9 pts

28▲10Macon County, NCNC39,23210.6%+4.9 pts

29▼5Pender County, NCNC72,11110.1%+6.5 pts

30Cumberland County, NCNC338,47310.1%+4.1 pts

31▲8Swain County, NCNC14,02410.0%+5.8 pts

32▲16Currituck County, NCNC33,1589.9%+6.9 pts

33▼6Clay County, NCNC12,2399.8%+3.7 pts

34▲7Alamance County, NCNC186,1779.6%+4.2 pts

35▲2Chowan County, NCNC14,0829.5%+4.3 pts

36▲7Mitchell County, NCNC15,0629.5%+5.2 pts

37▼1Davie County, NCNC45,8559.3%+4.3 pts

38▲2Perquimans County, NCNC13,4909.1%+5.4 pts

39▲7Onslow County, NCNC217,1759.1%+4.6 pts

40▼9Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2018.9%+4.1 pts

41▲22Franklin County, NCNC82,0378.9%+5.5 pts

42▲2Lincoln County, NCNC98,6548.8%+5.4 pts

43▼15Avery County, NCNC18,1108.5%+3.3 pts

44▼2Granville County, NCNC61,4218.5%+4.9 pts

45▼13Cherokee County, NCNC30,8308.5%+4.6 pts

46▲4Gaston County, NCNC246,5588.4%+4.6 pts

47▲8Ashe County, NCNC27,5148.4%+4.5 pts

48▼1Harnett County, NCNC150,1378.4%+5.0 pts

49▼16Yancey County, NCNC19,0848.3%+4.0 pts

50▼1Johnston County, NCNC256,4488.3%+4.6 pts

51▲2Wilson County, NCNC81,1508.2%+4.3 pts

52▲6Rutherford County, NCNC65,7458.2%+4.3 pts

53▼8Cleveland County, NCNC103,3258.0%+3.7 pts

54▼20Alleghany County, NCNC11,4797.8%+4.3 pts

55▲9Hoke County, NCNC56,9397.7%+4.4 pts

56▼5Catawba County, NCNC170,1727.7%+2.9 pts

57▲4Burke County, NCNC88,6557.4%+3.5 pts

58▲11Rowan County, NCNC155,0967.3%+3.4 pts

59▼5Nash County, NCNC99,3657.2%+2.4 pts

60Lee County, NCNC70,2587.2%+1.3 pts

61▼26Beaufort County, NCNC44,6707.1%+2.0 pts

62▲5Surry County, NCNC72,2877.1%+3.8 pts

63▲12Montgomery County, NCNC26,4036.9%+4.2 pts

64▲16Northampton County, NCNC16,4916.9%+4.5 pts

65▲3Davidson County, NCNC180,1826.7%+3.5 pts

66▲7Scotland County, NCNC33,3226.6%+1.3 pts

67▼8Wayne County, NCNC122,2786.6%+1.9 pts

68▲2Warren County, NCNC18,8986.5%+2.1 pts

69▼4Bertie County, NCNC17,0866.5%+4.0 pts

70▲14Person County, NCNC40,6366.4%+3.9 pts

71▼19Hertford County, NCNC19,0156.4%+2.8 pts

72▲7Caldwell County, NCNC81,1056.2%+3.1 pts

73▲20Stokes County, NCNC46,1266.2%+3.9 pts

74▲4Wilkes County, NCNC66,2336.1%+2.5 pts

75▲12Lenoir County, NCNC55,8375.9%+2.2 pts

76▼2Bladen County, NCNC30,0075.9%+2.8 pts

77▼5Caswell County, NCNC22,5635.8%+3.5 pts

78▼7McDowell County, NCNC45,1985.7%+3.1 pts

79▼3Rockingham County, NCNC94,1955.7%+2.5 pts

80▼23Richmond County, NCNC42,0415.7%+2.2 pts

81▲4Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1215.6%+3.2 pts

82▲16Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5375.5%+2.8 pts

83▼6Stanly County, NCNC68,8305.5%+1.9 pts

84▲7Alexander County, NCNC36,9585.4%+2.7 pts

85▲3Graham County, NCNC8,1905.3%+1.4 pts

86▲10Yadkin County, NCNC38,3255.3%+2.3 pts

87▼5Halifax County, NCNC46,5345.2%+2.1 pts

88▼5Robeson County, NCNC119,9415.1%+1.4 pts

89▼3Randolph County, NCNC149,5165.0%+2.1 pts

90▲2Columbus County, NCNC50,4874.9%+1.5 pts

91▼2Duplin County, NCNC51,5714.8%+1.7 pts

92▼30Vance County, NCNC42,6384.8%+1.6 pts

93▲7Washington County, NCNC10,6384.8%+1.1 pts

94Jones County, NCNC9,5754.7%+2.1 pts

95▼5Sampson County, NCNC61,5044.7%+1.4 pts

96▼30Martin County, NCNC21,6014.4%+1.1 pts

97▼16Gates County, NCNC10,2344.3%+2.1 pts

98▲1Hyde County, NCNC4,5543.9%+0.8 pts

99▼2Greene County, NCNC20,7003.0%−0.1 pts

100▼5Anson County, NCNC21,7582.7%+0.1 pts

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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