RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most graduate degrees, North Carolina counties · 2000

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a graduate or professional degree (2000 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 1990

01Orange County, NCNC152,49827.1%+15%

02Durham County, NCNC347,24017.4%+21%

03Watauga County, NCNC54,78614.5%+21%

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,23514.3%+32%

05Jackson County, NCNC45,03911.6%+26%

06Chatham County, NCNC85,11111.6%+59%

07Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38310.5%+46%

08Polk County, NCNC20,5339.6%+35%

09Forsyth County, NCNC401,7189.5%+23%

10Moore County, NCNC110,6199.4%+58%

11Pitt County, NCNC182,9369.3%+12%

12Guilford County, NCNC562,2349.0%+25%

13Transylvania County, NCNC34,2119.0%+53%

14Buncombe County, NCNC277,4178.9%+34%

15New Hanover County, NCNC245,9598.7%+47%

16Henderson County, NCNC122,3758.5%+35%

17Dare County, NCNC38,2458.4%+39%

18Carteret County, NCNC70,4696.7%+31%

19Madison County, NCNC22,5536.5%+53%

20Clay County, NCNC12,2396.2%+41%

21Haywood County, NCNC63,3696.0%+39%

22Cumberland County, NCNC338,4736.0%+17%

23Lee County, NCNC70,2585.8%+54%

24Craven County, NCNC105,0255.8%+34%

25Macon County, NCNC39,2325.7%+32%

26Union County, NCNC267,6745.6%+42%

27Alamance County, NCNC186,1775.4%+42%

28Scotland County, NCNC33,3225.3%+52%

29Camden County, NCNC11,3155.3%+62%

30Avery County, NCNC18,1105.2%+11%

31Pamlico County, NCNC12,7585.2%+48%

32Chowan County, NCNC14,0825.2%+48%

33Beaufort County, NCNC44,6705.2%+64%

34Brunswick County, NCNC174,7025.1%+64%

35Davie County, NCNC45,8555.0%+41%

36Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2014.8%+18%

37Nash County, NCNC99,3654.8%+52%

38Iredell County, NCNC211,7984.7%+41%

39Wayne County, NCNC122,2784.7%+21%

40Catawba County, NCNC170,1724.7%+41%

41Cabarrus County, NCNC249,7254.7%+39%

42Warren County, NCNC18,8984.5%+89%

43Onslow County, NCNC217,1754.5%+24%

44Cleveland County, NCNC103,3254.3%+24%

45Mitchell County, NCNC15,0624.3%+30%

46Yancey County, NCNC19,0844.2%+41%

47Swain County, NCNC14,0244.1%+25%

48Cherokee County, NCNC30,8303.9%+35%

49Burke County, NCNC88,6553.9%+11%

50Graham County, NCNC8,1903.9%−12%

51Rutherford County, NCNC65,7453.9%+25%

52Wilson County, NCNC81,1503.9%+2%

53Ashe County, NCNC27,5143.9%+27%

54Rowan County, NCNC155,0963.9%+13%

55Gaston County, NCNC246,5583.8%+32%

56Washington County, NCNC10,6383.7%+126%

57Perquimans County, NCNC13,4903.7%+28%

58Lenoir County, NCNC55,8373.7%+19%

59Granville County, NCNC61,4213.7%+29%

60Robeson County, NCNC119,9413.7%+11%

61Johnston County, NCNC256,4483.6%+22%

62Wilkes County, NCNC66,2333.6%+28%

63Pender County, NCNC72,1113.6%+2%

64Stanly County, NCNC68,8303.6%+48%

65Hertford County, NCNC19,0153.6%+3%

66Richmond County, NCNC42,0413.5%+36%

67Alleghany County, NCNC11,4793.5%−5%

68Harnett County, NCNC150,1373.4%+7%

69Franklin County, NCNC82,0373.4%+37%

70Lincoln County, NCNC98,6543.4%+21%

71Martin County, NCNC21,6013.3%+45%

72Columbus County, NCNC50,4873.3%+13%

73Surry County, NCNC72,2873.3%+12%

74Vance County, NCNC42,6383.3%+40%

75Hoke County, NCNC56,9393.3%+75%

76Davidson County, NCNC180,1823.2%+26%

77Sampson County, NCNC61,5043.2%+28%

78Rockingham County, NCNC94,1953.2%+20%

79Caldwell County, NCNC81,1053.2%+13%

80Duplin County, NCNC51,5713.1%+55%

81Bladen County, NCNC30,0073.1%+44%

82Greene County, NCNC20,7003.1%+14%

83Halifax County, NCNC46,5343.1%+43%

84Hyde County, NCNC4,5543.1%+14%

85Currituck County, NCNC33,1583.0%+20%

86Randolph County, NCNC149,5163.0%+27%

87Yadkin County, NCNC38,3252.9%+46%

88Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5372.8%+74%

89Montgomery County, NCNC26,4032.7%−7%

90Alexander County, NCNC36,9582.6%+24%

91McDowell County, NCNC45,1982.6%−8%

92Jones County, NCNC9,5752.6%+27%

93Anson County, NCNC21,7582.6%+17%

94Bertie County, NCNC17,0862.6%+21%

95Person County, NCNC40,6362.6%+30%

96Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1212.4%+26%

97Northampton County, NCNC16,4912.4%+1%

98Caswell County, NCNC22,5632.3%+3%

99Stokes County, NCNC46,1262.3%+42%

100Gates County, NCNC10,2342.2%+2%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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