Most Educated Cities in America by Bachelor's Degree Rate

In Bethesda, MD, 87.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher — more than double the national rate of 35.7%. This page ranks the 100 most educated US cities with at least 50,000 residents.

Top 10 by Bachelor's Degree Rate

Bethesda

87.1%

Brookline

85.4%

Hoboken

82.6%

Palo Alto

82.3%

Cupertino

82.3%

Newton

81.1%

Cambridge

80.8%

Ann Arbor

77.9%

Arlington

77.1%

Sammamish

77.1%

The most educated cities come in two flavors: university towns, where degrees are practically a condition of residence, and affluent professional suburbs like Bethesda and Brookline, where they are a condition of affording the housing. The two flavors diverge sharply on income — Bethesda pairs its 87.1% degree rate with a median household income of $192,237, while college towns on the list often post modest incomes because so many residents are students.

Education concentrates geographically far more than income does: the range on this list runs to more than double the national rate of 35.7%, and nearly every entry overlaps with the richest cities ranking. The same pattern at the state level is in the most educated states ranking.

Full Rankings

#	City	Bachelor's+	Graduate Degree	Median Income	Population
1	Bethesda, MD	87.1%	58.1%	$192,237	69,397
2	Brookline, MA	85.4%	57.9%	$142,101	63,266
3	Hoboken, NJ	82.6%	32.0%	$180,579	58,668
4	Palo Alto, CA	82.3%	55.0%	$231,101	67,237
5	Cupertino, CA	82.3%	48.6%	$234,707	58,566
6	Newton, MA	81.1%	53.0%	$190,304	89,044
7	Cambridge, MA	80.8%	51.2%	$130,748	118,796
8	Ann Arbor, MI	77.9%	48.0%	$82,212	122,036
9	Arlington, VA	77.1%	41.7%	$142,114	236,254
10	Sammamish, WA	77.1%	37.3%	$239,690	66,463
11	Boulder, CO	76.8%	40.4%	$87,493	106,433
12	Davis, CA	76.8%	44.5%	$90,045	66,978
13	Chapel Hill, NC	76.6%	45.2%	$85,989	61,607
14	Redmond, WA	75.3%	38.6%	$162,560	77,353
15	Mountain View (Santa Clara County), CA	75.0%	45.1%	$189,917	83,732
16	Berkeley, CA	74.9%	42.0%	$108,092	120,257
17	Carmel, IN	74.4%	31.7%	$141,505	101,651
18	Edina, MN	72.7%	31.1%	$128,767	53,262
19	Johns Creek, GA	72.7%	32.3%	$160,093	81,988
20	Oak Park, IL	72.5%	38.7%	$110,820	53,292
21	Naperville, IL	72.5%	33.3%	$155,105	150,692
22	Dunwoody, GA	72.2%	32.5%	$121,903	51,758
23	Bellevue, WA	72.1%	36.0%	$165,576	151,847
24	Reston, VA	72.0%	34.5%	$148,710	64,414
25	San Ramon, CA	71.6%	33.4%	$196,161	85,993
26	Catalina Foothills, AZ	71.4%	39.1%	$115,304	52,593
27	Brookhaven, GA	70.9%	31.4%	$117,663	57,855
28	Alpharetta, GA	70.7%	31.1%	$147,612	66,855
29	Santa Monica, CA	70.7%	30.5%	$114,885	91,169
30	Irvine, CA	70.6%	31.5%	$136,719	311,690
31	Cary, NC	70.5%	33.7%	$134,905	179,306
32	Walnut Creek, CA	70.4%	30.6%	$130,432	70,088
33	Pleasanton, CA	69.8%	33.4%	$190,124	76,960
34	Dublin, CA	69.8%	32.0%	$214,385	70,803
35	Newport Beach, CA	69.6%	27.9%	$156,867	83,845
36	Apex, NC	69.5%	30.5%	$144,135	70,630
37	Evanston, IL	69.5%	39.7%	$96,434	76,340
38	Somerville, MA	69.4%	33.4%	$132,572	81,036
39	Sunnyvale, CA	69.3%	39.2%	$186,170	154,236
40	Towson, MD	69.3%	35.8%	$101,320	58,679
41	Sandy Springs, GA	69.2%	29.6%	$104,340	107,087
42	Ellicott City, MD	68.8%	37.1%	$156,964	75,257
43	Seattle, WA	68.5%	30.6%	$123,860	754,195
44	Mount Pleasant, SC	68.4%	27.2%	$124,755	93,993
45	Highlands Ranch, CO	67.8%	26.5%	$159,307	102,257
46	Encinitas, CA	67.7%	28.6%	$162,229	61,480
47	Weston, FL	67.6%	30.8%	$139,825	68,837
48	Frisco, TX	67.5%	28.5%	$150,212	219,304
49	Redondo Beach, CA	67.0%	25.7%	$150,245	69,291
50	West Hartford, CT	66.6%	33.9%	$129,890	63,620
51	Fishers, IN	66.5%	24.4%	$130,203	102,337
52	Kirkland, WA	66.3%	27.8%	$150,414	92,621
53	Alexandria, VA	66.2%	34.8%	$119,681	156,976
54	The Woodlands, TX	66.1%	28.1%	$140,701	121,002
55	Roswell, GA	66.0%	23.9%	$128,654	92,621
56	Santa Clara, CA	65.9%	35.3%	$178,958	130,256
57	Plymouth, MN	65.9%	26.1%	$136,534	79,220
58	Ames, IA	65.8%	31.8%	$60,991	67,669
59	Rockville, MD	65.6%	38.1%	$128,649	67,671
60	Flower Mound, TX	65.5%	23.0%	$161,235	78,389
61	Bozeman, MT	65.1%	26.2%	$85,747	56,114
62	Minnetonka, MN	65.0%	25.2%	$119,517	53,064
63	Eden Prairie, MN	64.9%	25.6%	$130,489	63,051
64	Troy, MI	64.8%	31.9%	$120,045	87,898
65	Madison, AL	64.5%	29.1%	$134,655	60,106
66	Wheaton, IL	64.5%	28.1%	$120,008	53,557
67	Franklin, TN	64.5%	24.8%	$119,528	87,133
68	Washington, DC	64.3%	38.0%	$109,870	681,294
69	Auburn, AL	64.1%	32.3%	$63,668	80,594
70	Royal Oak, MI	64.1%	25.6%	$101,109	57,950
71	Novi, MI	64.1%	30.5%	$110,723	66,717
72	Fremont, CA	63.9%	31.4%	$181,506	228,295
73	Overland Park, KS	63.7%	25.9%	$104,834	200,306
74	Columbia, MD	63.6%	34.9%	$131,490	104,338
75	Sugar Land, TX	63.0%	27.8%	$136,217	110,016
76	Centennial, CO	62.6%	24.9%	$131,928	108,201
77	Hoover, AL	62.6%	26.2%	$109,253	92,642
78	Collierville, TN	62.5%	26.9%	$138,598	51,515
79	Carlsbad, CA	62.1%	25.8%	$142,748	114,373
80	Scottsdale, AZ	61.9%	24.4%	$110,886	243,821
81	Boca Raton, FL	61.8%	25.4%	$106,273	100,234
82	Alameda, CA	61.6%	26.7%	$137,697	77,238
83	Corvallis, OR	61.4%	30.7%	$65,012	59,960
84	Rochester Hills, MI	61.4%	27.7%	$120,694	77,089
85	Woodbury, MN	61.3%	21.6%	$125,310	78,305
86	Fort Collins, CO	60.7%	26.1%	$85,070	170,229
87	Silver Spring, MD	60.6%	33.6%	$99,860	81,462
88	Iowa City, IA	60.5%	29.8%	$58,546	75,752
89	Plano, TX	60.5%	24.9%	$112,253	290,594
90	Arlington Heights, IL	60.4%	26.3%	$116,723	76,005
91	San Francisco, CA	60.3%	25.4%	$140,970	830,235
92	Broomfield, CO	60.3%	24.7%	$123,874	76,304
93	El Dorado Hills, CA	59.9%	22.1%	$165,349	51,026
94	East Honolulu, HI	59.9%	27.2%	$159,518	51,360
95	Madison, WI	59.9%	25.7%	$78,050	278,001
96	Laguna Niguel, CA	59.8%	25.1%	$140,452	64,139
97	Medford, MA	59.8%	27.6%	$129,540	59,354
98	Westfield, IN	59.8%	22.2%	$122,789	54,677
99	Portland, ME	59.7%	24.0%	$79,540	68,854
100	Austin, TX	59.6%	23.0%	$93,658	979,539

Limited to places with at least 50,000 residents.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.

About This Ranking

All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the Bureau's most reliable dataset for state and local statistics. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, they describe a recent period rather than a single moment, and small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more about the data on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.

More National Rankings

Richest States Median household income States by Population All 50 states ranked by size Most Expensive States Median home value Most Affordable States Home price vs. local income Most Educated States Bachelor's degree rate Oldest States Median age, oldest to youngest Poverty Rate by State Lowest to highest Homeownership by State Owner-occupied share Most Diverse States Racial & ethnic diversity index Largest US Cities Top 100 by population Richest US Cities Median income, 50k+ population Most Expensive Cities Median home value, 50k+ population Salary Needed to Buy a Home Income required for the median home Unemployment by State Lowest to highest Labor Force Participation Share of adults working or job-seeking Households Earning $100k+ Six-figure household share Richest US Counties Median household income Largest US Counties Top 100 by population Most Diverse Cities Diversity index, 50k+ population Highest Homeownership Cities Owner-occupied share, 50k+ population

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most educated city in America?

Among cities with at least 50,000 residents, Bethesda, Maryland has the highest share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher at 87.1%.

What share of Americans have a bachelor’s degree?

35.7% of US adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher; the cities on this list all far exceed that rate.

Are educated cities also rich cities?

Largely, yes — educational attainment is the strongest local predictor of household income, and most cities on this list also appear among the richest US cities. The main exceptions are university towns, where student populations hold measured incomes down.