U.S. Graduate Degree Rate by State 2026: Statistics & Charts
Graduate degree rate measures the share of adults age 25 and older whose highest reported educational attainment is a graduate or professional degree.
The 2026 publication label uses the latest complete state dataset available for publication: 2024 ACS 1-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, with 2023 values shown for recent movement.
Graduate Degree Statistics
National and state values use ACS table S1501. State rankings use the rounded 2024 rate reported in the source table.
Highest Graduate Degree Rates by State and DC
Top 20 jurisdictions by 2024 graduate or professional degree rate among adults age 25 and older.
The chart is a visual summary. The full 51-row ranking table below remains the source table for this page.
Chart analysis
- District of Columbia leads the chart at 38.3%.
- Massachusetts is the highest state at 22.6%.
- Maryland ranks third overall at 21.5%.
- Nine jurisdictions report rates of 18.0% or higher.
- The top-to-bottom gap across all jurisdictions is 28.7 percentage points.
- Values are rounded to one decimal place in the source table.
Full State Graduate Degree Rate Table
Ranking covers all 50 states and District of Columbia. Equal rounded values are ordered alphabetically.
| Rank | State | Code | 2024 Rate | 2023 Rate | Change | Region | Source Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | DC | 38.3% | 39.0% | -0.7 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 2 | Massachusetts | MA | 22.6% | 22.4% | +0.2 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 3 | Maryland | MD | 21.5% | 21.3% | +0.2 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 4 | Connecticut | CT | 19.3% | 19.8% | -0.5 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 5 | Vermont | VT | 19.2% | 18.5% | +0.7 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 6 | Virginia | VA | 19.2% | 18.5% | +0.7 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 7 | Colorado | CO | 18.7% | 18.1% | +0.6 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 8 | New York | NY | 18.4% | 18.1% | +0.3 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 9 | New Jersey | NJ | 18.2% | 17.5% | +0.7 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 10 | New Hampshire | NH | 16.6% | 16.2% | +0.4 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 11 | Washington | WA | 16.6% | 16.1% | +0.5 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 12 | Rhode Island | RI | 16.5% | 15.9% | +0.6 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 13 | Delaware | DE | 16.0% | 15.5% | +0.5 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 14 | Illinois | IL | 15.9% | 15.5% | +0.4 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | PA | 15.1% | 14.4% | +0.7 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 16 | California | CA | 14.9% | 14.7% | +0.2 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 17 | Oregon | OR | 14.9% | 14.2% | +0.7 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 18 | Georgia | GA | 14.8% | 14.1% | +0.7 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 19 | Maine | ME | 14.6% | 13.7% | +0.9 pp | Northeast | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 20 | North Carolina | NC | 14.5% | 13.8% | +0.7 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 21 | Minnesota | MN | 14.0% | 14.0% | 0.0 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 22 | New Mexico | NM | 14.0% | 14.1% | -0.1 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 23 | Hawaii | HI | 13.9% | 13.9% | 0.0 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 24 | Arizona | AZ | 13.8% | 13.1% | +0.7 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 25 | Florida | FL | 13.7% | 13.3% | +0.4 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 26 | Utah | UT | 13.7% | 13.8% | -0.1 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 27 | Kansas | KS | 13.6% | 13.4% | +0.2 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 28 | Missouri | MO | 13.3% | 13.0% | +0.3 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 29 | Alaska | AK | 13.1% | 12.2% | +0.9 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 30 | Michigan | MI | 13.1% | 12.8% | +0.3 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 31 | Texas | TX | 13.1% | 12.6% | +0.5 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 32 | Nebraska | NE | 13.0% | 12.4% | +0.6 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 33 | South Carolina | SC | 13.0% | 12.5% | +0.5 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 34 | Ohio | OH | 12.5% | 12.7% | -0.2 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 35 | Tennessee | TN | 12.4% | 12.4% | 0.0 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 36 | Montana | MT | 12.0% | 12.0% | 0.0 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 37 | Wisconsin | WI | 12.0% | 11.5% | +0.5 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 38 | Wyoming | WY | 12.0% | 11.2% | +0.8 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 39 | Alabama | AL | 11.8% | 11.3% | +0.5 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 40 | Kentucky | KY | 11.8% | 11.5% | +0.3 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 41 | Idaho | ID | 11.2% | 10.6% | +0.6 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 42 | Indiana | IN | 11.2% | 11.1% | +0.1 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 43 | South Dakota | SD | 11.2% | 10.4% | +0.8 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 44 | Iowa | IA | 10.9% | 10.7% | +0.2 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 45 | Mississippi | MS | 10.7% | 10.0% | +0.7 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 46 | Louisiana | LA | 10.5% | 10.1% | +0.4 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 47 | North Dakota | ND | 10.5% | 10.2% | +0.3 pp | Midwest | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 48 | Oklahoma | OK | 10.5% | 10.1% | +0.4 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 49 | Nevada | NV | 10.1% | 10.0% | +0.1 pp | West | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 50 | Arkansas | AR | 10.0% | 9.5% | +0.5 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
| 51 | West Virginia | WV | 9.6% | 9.5% | +0.1 pp | South | 2024 ACS 1-year |
Table analysis
- 18 jurisdictions are at or above the U.S. rate of 14.7%.
- 33 jurisdictions are below the U.S. rate.
- West Virginia reports the lowest rate at 9.6%.
- District of Columbia is 15.7 percentage points above Massachusetts, the highest state.
- Maine and Alaska show the largest one-year increases in this table at +0.9 percentage points.
- District of Columbia shows the largest one-year decrease at -0.7 percentage points.
- One-year changes use rounded ACS values and should be read as approximate percentage-point movement.
Graduate Degree Distribution and Regional Patterns
The supporting modules summarize the same 51 jurisdictions by rate band and Census region.
State Grid by Graduate Degree Rate Band
Static state grid using five rate bands from below 11% to 18% and higher.
The grid is not a geographic choropleth. It groups jurisdictions by rate band for compact comparison.
Map analysis
- 9 jurisdictions fall in the 18.0%+ band.
- 18 jurisdictions fall in the 13.0%–14.9% band, the largest band in the grid.
- 8 jurisdictions are below 11.0%.
- The 18.0%+ band includes DC and states in the Northeast, South, and West.
Average Graduate Degree Rate by Census Region
Unweighted average of state-level rates within each Census region; DC is included with the South.
Regional values summarize jurisdiction rates, not population-weighted regional attainment.
Distribution Band Counts
Chart analysis
- The Northeast has the highest unweighted regional average at 17.8%.
- The Midwest has the lowest unweighted regional average at 12.6%.
- The South average is 14.8% when District of Columbia is included.
- The West regional average is 13.8%.
| Region | Jurisdictions | Average | Median | High | Low | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 9 | 17.8% | 18.2% | Massachusetts, 22.6% | Maine, 14.6% | Unweighted jurisdiction average |
| South | 17 | 14.8% | 13.0% | District of Columbia, 38.3% | West Virginia, 9.6% | Unweighted jurisdiction average |
| West | 13 | 13.8% | 13.8% | Colorado, 18.7% | Nevada, 10.1% | Unweighted jurisdiction average |
| Midwest | 12 | 12.6% | 12.8% | Illinois, 15.9% | North Dakota, 10.5% | Unweighted jurisdiction average |
Table analysis
- The Northeast has the highest regional median at 18.2%.
- The South has the widest regional spread because it includes both District of Columbia and West Virginia.
- The Midwest regional range runs from 10.5% to 15.9%.
- Regional averages are not weighted by adult population size.
| Rate Band | Count | Jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| 18.0%+ | 9 | CO, CT, DC, MD, MA, NJ, NY, VT, VA |
| 15.0%–17.9% | 6 | DE, IL, NH, PA, RI, WA |
| 13.0%–14.9% | 18 | AK, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, KS, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NM, NC, OR, SC, TX, UT |
| 11.0%–12.9% | 10 | AL, ID, IN, KY, MT, OH, SD, TN, WI, WY |
| Below 11.0% | 8 | AR, IA, LA, MS, NV, ND, OK, WV |
Table analysis
- The most common band is 13.0%–14.9%, with 18 jurisdictions.
- The two highest bands together contain 15 jurisdictions.
- The two lowest bands together contain 18 jurisdictions.
- 8 jurisdictions are below 11.0%.
Graduate Degree Rate Analysis Notes
These notes describe what the ranking shows and how the metric should be read.
Indicator scope
The rate covers adults age 25 and older with a graduate or professional degree as their highest reported educational attainment.
Ranking scope
The ranking is based on one selected indicator only. It does not rank school quality, college access, workforce outcomes, or graduate program capacity.
District of Columbia effect
DC is included because the coverage standard is 50 states plus District of Columbia. Its rate is far above the highest state rate.
Rounded values
Rates are reported to one decimal place. Small one-year movements may reflect rounding as well as real movement in survey estimates.
Regional reading
Regional tables use simple averages of jurisdiction percentages. They are not population-weighted regional rates.
ACS sample estimates
ACS values are survey estimates. Margins of error and sampling rules should be reviewed before making formal comparisons.
Source and Methodology
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Subject Table S1501, Educational Attainment.
2024 ACS 1-year estimates, released in 2025 and used for 2026 publication coverage.
Percent of population age 25 and older with a graduate or professional degree.
50 U.S. states plus District of Columbia. Puerto Rico is not included in the state ranking table.
Rows are ranked from highest to lowest 2024 rate. Equal rounded rates are ordered alphabetically.
Rates and one-year changes are displayed to one decimal place. Change is measured in percentage points.
Census state-level geography. District of Columbia is treated as a jurisdiction in the same table.
The graduate degree rate is an attainment measure, not an enrollment measure. It counts completed graduate or professional degrees among adults age 25 and older, using ACS survey estimates for the calendar-year source period.
State rankings should not be interpreted as causal evidence about school systems, universities, labor markets, or migration patterns. ACS attainment estimates are affected by population age structure, migration, professional labor markets, sampling error, and the reported highest degree category.