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.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPGRADUATE DEGREEVS 2000

01Orange County, NCNC152,49834.6%+27%

02Durham County, NCNC347,24026.3%+51%

03Wake County, NCNC1,257,23523.4%+64%

04Chatham County, NCNC85,11123.2%+100%

05Watauga County, NCNC54,78621.7%+50%

06Buncombe County, NCNC277,41719.0%+113%

07Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38317.9%+70%

08Moore County, NCNC110,61917.7%+88%

09New Hanover County, NCNC245,95916.0%+84%

10Transylvania County, NCNC34,21115.5%+72%

11Forsyth County, NCNC401,71815.1%+59%

12Guilford County, NCNC562,23414.8%+64%

13Pitt County, NCNC182,93614.3%+54%

14Union County, NCNC267,67414.1%+151%

15Cabarrus County, NCNC249,72513.9%+197%

16Polk County, NCNC20,53313.8%+44%

17Henderson County, NCNC122,37513.5%+59%

18Dare County, NCNC38,24513.2%+56%

19Jackson County, NCNC45,03913.2%+13%

20Carteret County, NCNC70,46912.9%+93%

21Brunswick County, NCNC174,70212.7%+150%

22Pamlico County, NCNC12,75811.6%+123%

23Camden County, NCNC11,31511.6%+121%

24Haywood County, NCNC63,36911.5%+92%

25Iredell County, NCNC211,79811.1%+135%

26Madison County, NCNC22,55311.1%+71%

27Craven County, NCNC105,02510.7%+86%

28Macon County, NCNC39,23210.6%+85%

29Pender County, NCNC72,11110.1%+179%

30Cumberland County, NCNC338,47310.1%+69%

31Swain County, NCNC14,02410.0%+141%

32Currituck County, NCNC33,1589.9%+226%

33Clay County, NCNC12,2399.8%+59%

34Alamance County, NCNC186,1779.6%+79%

35Chowan County, NCNC14,0829.5%+83%

36Mitchell County, NCNC15,0629.5%+122%

37Davie County, NCNC45,8559.3%+86%

38Perquimans County, NCNC13,4909.1%+143%

39Onslow County, NCNC217,1759.1%+104%

40Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2018.9%+86%

41Franklin County, NCNC82,0378.9%+164%

42Lincoln County, NCNC98,6548.8%+160%

43Avery County, NCNC18,1108.5%+63%

44Granville County, NCNC61,4218.5%+132%

45Cherokee County, NCNC30,8308.5%+115%

46Gaston County, NCNC246,5588.4%+120%

47Ashe County, NCNC27,5148.4%+115%

48Harnett County, NCNC150,1378.4%+146%

49Yancey County, NCNC19,0848.3%+95%

50Johnston County, NCNC256,4488.3%+128%

51Wilson County, NCNC81,1508.2%+110%

52Rutherford County, NCNC65,7458.2%+110%

53Cleveland County, NCNC103,3258.0%+87%

54Alleghany County, NCNC11,4797.8%+125%

55Hoke County, NCNC56,9397.7%+135%

56Catawba County, NCNC170,1727.7%+62%

57Burke County, NCNC88,6557.4%+87%

58Rowan County, NCNC155,0967.3%+88%

59Nash County, NCNC99,3657.2%+50%

60Lee County, NCNC70,2587.2%+23%

61Beaufort County, NCNC44,6707.1%+38%

62Surry County, NCNC72,2877.1%+115%

63Montgomery County, NCNC26,4036.9%+158%

64Northampton County, NCNC16,4916.9%+192%

65Davidson County, NCNC180,1826.7%+108%

66Scotland County, NCNC33,3226.6%+23%

67Wayne County, NCNC122,2786.6%+39%

68Warren County, NCNC18,8986.5%+47%

69Bertie County, NCNC17,0866.5%+154%

70Person County, NCNC40,6366.4%+150%

71Hertford County, NCNC19,0156.4%+79%

72Caldwell County, NCNC81,1056.2%+97%

73Stokes County, NCNC46,1266.2%+171%

74Wilkes County, NCNC66,2336.1%+69%

75Lenoir County, NCNC55,8375.9%+60%

76Bladen County, NCNC30,0075.9%+89%

77Caswell County, NCNC22,5635.8%+153%

78McDowell County, NCNC45,1985.7%+116%

79Rockingham County, NCNC94,1955.7%+77%

80Richmond County, NCNC42,0415.7%+64%

81Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1215.6%+135%

82Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5375.5%+101%

83Stanly County, NCNC68,8305.5%+52%

84Alexander County, NCNC36,9585.4%+103%

85Graham County, NCNC8,1905.3%+36%

86Yadkin County, NCNC38,3255.3%+79%

87Halifax County, NCNC46,5345.2%+68%

88Robeson County, NCNC119,9415.1%+39%

89Randolph County, NCNC149,5165.0%+70%

90Columbus County, NCNC50,4874.9%+46%

91Duplin County, NCNC51,5714.8%+54%

92Vance County, NCNC42,6384.8%+47%

93Washington County, NCNC10,6384.8%+28%

94Jones County, NCNC9,5754.7%+78%

95Sampson County, NCNC61,5044.7%+44%

96Martin County, NCNC21,6014.4%+33%

97Gates County, NCNC10,2344.3%+92%

98Hyde County, NCNC4,5543.9%+27%

99Greene County, NCNC20,7003.0%−4%

100Anson County, NCNC21,7582.7%+5%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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