RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most graduate degrees, North Carolina counties · 2010

North Carolina counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a graduate or professional degree (2023 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, NCNC152,49829.1%+7%

02Durham County, NCNC347,24019.4%+12%

03Watauga County, NCNC54,78616.3%+12%

04Wake County, NCNC1,257,23516.0%+12%

05Chatham County, NCNC85,11115.0%+29%

06Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,38312.6%+21%

07New Hanover County, NCNC245,95911.9%+37%

08Buncombe County, NCNC277,41711.1%+24%

09Jackson County, NCNC45,03911.0%−5%

10Polk County, NCNC20,53310.9%+13%

11Guilford County, NCNC562,23410.4%+15%

12Pitt County, NCNC182,93610.4%+12%

13Forsyth County, NCNC401,71810.3%+9%

14Moore County, NCNC110,61910.3%+10%

15Transylvania County, NCNC34,21110.3%+14%

16Dare County, NCNC38,24510.2%+21%

17Henderson County, NCNC122,37510.1%+18%

18Carteret County, NCNC70,4698.3%+23%

19Davie County, NCNC45,8557.8%+56%

20Swain County, NCNC14,0247.7%+85%

21Union County, NCNC267,6747.6%+36%

22Brunswick County, NCNC174,7027.6%+49%

23Cumberland County, NCNC338,4737.4%+24%

24Macon County, NCNC39,2327.2%+27%

25Craven County, NCNC105,0257.1%+23%

26Cabarrus County, NCNC249,7257.1%+50%

27Pamlico County, NCNC12,7586.9%+33%

28Haywood County, NCNC63,3696.9%+15%

29Alamance County, NCNC186,1776.8%+27%

30Pasquotank County, NCNC42,2016.6%+38%

31Cherokee County, NCNC30,8306.4%+63%

32Beaufort County, NCNC44,6706.3%+21%

33Clay County, NCNC12,2396.2%−0%

34Iredell County, NCNC211,7986.1%+29%

35Ashe County, NCNC27,5146.1%+56%

36Avery County, NCNC18,1106.0%+14%

37Perquimans County, NCNC13,4905.9%+57%

38Catawba County, NCNC170,1725.7%+21%

39Madison County, NCNC22,5535.6%−14%

40Burke County, NCNC88,6555.5%+40%

41Gaston County, NCNC246,5585.5%+43%

42Pender County, NCNC72,1115.2%+45%

43Lee County, NCNC70,2585.2%−10%

44Wayne County, NCNC122,2785.2%+10%

45Nash County, NCNC99,3655.2%+8%

46Hoke County, NCNC56,9395.2%+59%

47Onslow County, NCNC217,1755.2%+16%

48Hertford County, NCNC19,0155.2%+44%

49Rutherford County, NCNC65,7455.1%+31%

50Currituck County, NCNC33,1585.1%+67%

51Yancey County, NCNC19,0845.1%+20%

52Cleveland County, NCNC103,3255.0%+17%

53Alleghany County, NCNC11,4795.0%+45%

54Mitchell County, NCNC15,0624.9%+16%

55Harnett County, NCNC150,1374.9%+43%

56Rowan County, NCNC155,0964.8%+25%

57Scotland County, NCNC33,3224.7%−12%

58Chowan County, NCNC14,0824.6%−11%

59Surry County, NCNC72,2874.6%+40%

60Franklin County, NCNC82,0374.6%+36%

61Johnston County, NCNC256,4484.5%+25%

62Davidson County, NCNC180,1824.5%+39%

63Caldwell County, NCNC81,1054.5%+43%

64McDowell County, NCNC45,1984.5%+69%

65Northampton County, NCNC16,4914.5%+89%

66Lincoln County, NCNC98,6544.4%+32%

67Montgomery County, NCNC26,4034.4%+65%

68Camden County, NCNC11,3154.3%−19%

69Lenoir County, NCNC55,8374.2%+15%

70Graham County, NCNC8,1904.2%+8%

71Wilson County, NCNC81,1504.1%+6%

72Robeson County, NCNC119,9414.1%+13%

73Warren County, NCNC18,8984.1%−9%

74Stanly County, NCNC68,8304.0%+12%

75Halifax County, NCNC46,5344.0%+30%

76Granville County, NCNC61,4213.8%+5%

77Martin County, NCNC21,6013.8%+15%

78Caswell County, NCNC22,5633.8%+66%

79Washington County, NCNC10,6383.8%+1%

80Wilkes County, NCNC66,2333.7%+3%

81Person County, NCNC40,6363.7%+43%

82Richmond County, NCNC42,0413.6%+4%

83Sampson County, NCNC61,5043.6%+11%

84Alexander County, NCNC36,9583.6%+36%

85Columbus County, NCNC50,4873.6%+8%

86Randolph County, NCNC149,5163.4%+16%

87Vance County, NCNC42,6383.2%−1%

88Yadkin County, NCNC38,3253.1%+7%

89Rockingham County, NCNC94,1953.0%−7%

90Stokes County, NCNC46,1262.9%+29%

91Bertie County, NCNC17,0862.8%+9%

92Jones County, NCNC9,5752.7%+2%

93Duplin County, NCNC51,5712.6%−17%

94Gates County, NCNC10,2342.5%+14%

95Bladen County, NCNC30,0072.4%−22%

96Edgecombe County, NCNC49,1212.4%+1%

97Anson County, NCNC21,7582.2%−14%

98Greene County, NCNC20,7002.2%−30%

99Hyde County, NCNC4,5541.9%−39%

100Tyrrell County, NCNC3,5370.8%−72%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES