What does this graduate degree ranking show?

It orders states by Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Census Bureau ACS Table B15003 supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Schools

Lowest graduate degree by state

Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Share of adults 25 and over with a master's, professional-school, or doctorate degree as their highest credential. Bachelor's-only residents are not included. This describes the people who live here, not school performance or whether local jobs require advanced degrees. County figures use ACS 5-year data; state figures use ACS 1-year data.

How to read this ranking

West Virginia has the lowest published graduate degree in this comparison, at 9.6%. The next states shown are Arkansas (10.0%) and Nevada (10.1%).

The table orders 51 states by adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Share of adults 25 and over with a master's, professional-school, or doctorate degree as their highest credential. Bachelor's-only residents are not included. This describes the people who live here, not school performance or whether local jobs require advanced degrees. County figures use ACS 5-year data; state figures use ACS 1-year data.

1West Virginia9.6%
2Arkansas10.0%
3Nevada10.1%
4Louisiana10.5%
5North Dakota10.5%
6Oklahoma10.5%
7Mississippi10.7%
8Iowa10.9%
9Idaho11.2%
10Indiana11.2%
11South Dakota11.2%
12Alabama11.8%
13Kentucky11.8%
14Montana12.0%
15Wisconsin12.0%
16Wyoming12.0%
17Tennessee12.4%
18Ohio12.5%
19Nebraska13.0%
20South Carolina13.0%
21Alaska13.1%
22Michigan13.1%
23Texas13.1%
24Missouri13.3%
25Kansas13.6%
26Florida13.7%
27Utah13.7%
28Arizona13.8%
29Hawaii13.9%
30Minnesota14.0%
31New Mexico14.0%
32North Carolina14.5%
33Maine14.6%
34Georgia14.8%
35California14.9%
36Oregon14.9%
37Pennsylvania15.1%
38Illinois15.9%
39Delaware16.0%
40Rhode Island16.5%
41New Hampshire16.6%
42Washington16.6%
43New Jersey18.2%
44New York18.4%
45Colorado18.7%
46Virginia19.2%
47Vermont19.2%
48Connecticut19.3%
49Maryland21.5%
50Massachusetts22.6%
51District of Columbia38.3%

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau ACS Table B15003. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS Table B15003. · How this is built

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