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 35.0%. 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%

McLean

85.1%

Brookline

85.0%

Cupertino

83.1%

Hoboken

83.1%

Palo Alto

82.4%

Newton

80.7%

Cambridge

80.2%

Ann Arbor

77.7%

Chapel Hill

77.2%

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 McLean, 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 $191,348, 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 35.0%, 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%	58.5%	$191,348	67,403
2	McLean, VA	85.1%	56.2%	$250,000+	50,232
3	Brookline, MA	85.0%	57.8%	$140,631	62,822
4	Cupertino, CA	83.1%	49.0%	$231,139	58,886
5	Hoboken, NJ	83.1%	33.0%	$176,943	58,340
6	Palo Alto, CA	82.4%	55.2%	$220,408	67,231
7	Newton, MA	80.7%	52.4%	$184,989	88,504
8	Cambridge, MA	80.2%	50.4%	$126,469	117,794
9	Ann Arbor, MI	77.7%	47.2%	$81,089	121,179
10	Chapel Hill, NC	77.2%	45.2%	$85,825	59,889
11	Arlington, VA	77.1%	41.4%	$140,160	235,463
12	Sammamish, WA	77.0%	36.9%	$227,273	66,375
13	Boulder, CO	76.8%	39.9%	$85,364	106,274
14	Davis, CA	75.1%	43.1%	$87,421	66,801
15	Berkeley, CA	75.0%	41.6%	$108,558	120,223
16	Redmond, WA	74.7%	37.9%	$162,099	75,721
17	Carmel, IN	74.5%	32.0%	$134,602	100,501
18	Mountain View, CA	74.3%	44.6%	$179,917	82,363
19	Oak Park, IL	72.5%	38.6%	$108,026	53,315
20	Edina, MN	72.2%	31.3%	$129,225	53,125
21	Naperville, IL	71.7%	33.0%	$150,937	149,424
22	Alpharetta, GA	71.7%	31.5%	$146,581	66,355
23	Brookhaven, GA	71.7%	31.5%	$117,448	57,224
24	Dunwoody, GA	71.7%	32.4%	$109,116	51,563
25	Bellevue, WA	71.4%	35.2%	$161,300	151,199
26	San Ramon, CA	71.2%	32.2%	$197,358	85,734
27	Catalina Foothills, AZ	70.8%	39.1%	$113,201	51,756
28	Reston, VA	70.8%	34.3%	$139,515	63,542
29	Johns Creek, GA	70.7%	31.6%	$160,185	82,115
30	Irvine, CA	70.6%	31.2%	$129,647	308,160
31	Evanston, IL	70.3%	40.2%	$95,766	76,552
32	Cary, NC	70.2%	32.9%	$129,399	176,686
33	Sandy Springs, GA	69.9%	30.1%	$101,593	107,198
34	Newport Beach, CA	69.6%	28.5%	$158,461	84,304
35	Ellicott City, MD	69.6%	37.0%	$157,891	73,737
36	Dublin, CA	69.5%	31.6%	$205,046	70,542
37	Walnut Creek, CA	69.4%	30.6%	$135,665	69,790
38	Sunnyvale, CA	69.2%	38.9%	$181,862	153,455
39	Santa Monica, CA	68.9%	29.4%	$109,739	91,535
40	Pleasanton, CA	68.7%	32.5%	$186,206	77,500
41	Towson, MD	68.1%	33.9%	$100,481	57,683
42	Somerville, MA	68.0%	33.4%	$127,056	80,549
43	Weston, FL	67.6%	31.0%	$140,501	67,952
44	Seattle, WA	67.5%	29.9%	$121,984	741,440
45	Encinitas, CA	67.1%	28.1%	$150,471	61,585
46	Highlands Ranch, CO	66.8%	25.5%	$155,847	101,437
47	Apex, NC	66.6%	27.6%	$138,442	67,765
48	Redondo Beach, CA	66.4%	24.6%	$144,588	69,814
49	West Hartford, CT	66.3%	33.8%	$125,616	63,809
50	Fishers, IN	66.2%	24.0%	$128,141	100,918
51	Mount Pleasant, SC	66.2%	25.5%	$121,364	92,662
52	Frisco, TX	66.0%	27.4%	$146,158	210,238
53	Madison, AL	65.9%	29.6%	$131,436	58,335
54	Alexandria, VA	65.8%	34.4%	$113,638	156,788
55	Santa Clara, CA	65.3%	33.9%	$173,670	129,239
56	The Woodlands, TX	65.1%	27.9%	$141,353	116,916
57	Bozeman, MT	65.1%	26.2%	$79,903	55,042
58	Plymouth, MN	64.8%	25.6%	$133,865	79,526
59	Roswell, GA	64.8%	23.8%	$124,422	92,577
60	Eden Prairie, MN	64.7%	25.3%	$127,732	63,249
61	Rockville, MD	64.6%	37.8%	$122,384	67,218
62	Kirkland, WA	64.4%	26.4%	$143,533	91,614
63	Flower Mound, TX	64.3%	21.7%	$157,737	77,886
64	Franklin, TN	64.3%	24.5%	$115,000	85,575
65	Wheaton, IL	64.1%	26.7%	$119,566	53,453
66	Troy, MI	64.1%	31.4%	$119,299	87,307
67	Washington, DC	63.6%	37.5%	$106,287	672,079
68	Ames, IA	63.5%	30.9%	$60,102	66,112
69	Columbia, MD	63.5%	34.5%	$129,173	105,871
70	Minnetonka, MN	63.3%	24.9%	$120,496	53,256
71	Woodbury, MN	63.2%	22.8%	$126,222	76,945
72	Overland Park, KS	62.8%	25.3%	$103,838	197,199
73	Auburn, AL	62.7%	31.0%	$56,123	78,738
74	Fremont, CA	62.7%	30.2%	$176,350	228,518
75	Royal Oak, MI	62.6%	24.5%	$95,182	57,880
76	Sugar Land, TX	62.4%	27.3%	$137,511	109,735
77	Centennial, CO	61.9%	24.8%	$128,167	107,386
78	Scottsdale, AZ	61.5%	24.4%	$107,372	242,169
79	Carlsbad, CA	61.4%	24.6%	$139,326	114,500
80	Novi, MI	61.2%	28.6%	$110,938	66,224
81	Corvallis, OR	60.9%	29.9%	$63,807	60,424
82	Hoover, AL	60.8%	25.9%	$107,822	92,401
83	Iowa City, IA	60.7%	29.6%	$57,533	75,264
84	Collierville, TN	60.6%	24.9%	$134,319	51,212
85	East Honolulu, HI	60.6%	26.8%	$158,398	50,961
86	Rochester Hills, MI	60.5%	27.7%	$119,054	76,086
87	Boca Raton, FL	60.4%	24.2%	$102,722	98,833
88	Alameda, CA	60.3%	25.4%	$132,015	76,876
89	Westfield, IN	60.3%	20.1%	$119,598	51,109
90	Arlington Heights, IL	60.2%	25.8%	$118,532	76,220
91	San Francisco, CA	60.1%	25.1%	$141,446	836,321
92	Bloomington, IN	60.0%	34.7%	$48,918	78,791
93	Fort Collins, CO	59.9%	25.5%	$83,598	169,705
94	Silver Spring, MD	59.8%	33.5%	$98,880	82,129
95	Laguna Niguel, CA	59.3%	24.8%	$140,605	64,023
96	Portland, ME	59.2%	23.8%	$76,174	68,505
97	Plano, TX	59.2%	24.1%	$108,649	287,339
98	Madison, WI	59.2%	25.7%	$76,983	275,568
99	Smyrna, GA	59.0%	23.6%	$96,780	56,285
100	Broomfield, CO	58.6%	23.7%	$121,025	75,110

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

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?

35.0% 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.