National ranking · Top 100 · data updated August 2026

The 100 Most Educated Cities

This list ranks the top 100 US cities by bachelor's+, drawn straight from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). Use the leading value, cutoff, state mix, and full table together to see which places lead this single measure and what it takes to make the list.

Compiled by PlainCities

100
Cities ranked: #1
Clemson University: 100.0%
Bachelor's+

Data updated August 2026

The headline finding

Clemson University, SC tops this list at 100.0% bachelor's+, making the top 100 requires at least 78.9%.

Clemson University, SC
#1 · 100.0%: 78.9%
#100 cutoff: 100
cities in this ranking

Every figure here is read live from the same U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023) data rendered in the table below.

These 100 cities span 22 states. California has the most entries on this list: 15 (15% of the total). California state page.

How we calculate the state breakdown

The state count and leader above are a live tally of this list's own 100 rows, grouped by state. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

Clemson University, SC

100
University at Buffalo, NY

97.3
Stanford, CA

91.1
Scarsdale, NY

90.7
West University Place, TX

90.5
University Park, TX

90.4
Short Hills, NJ

90
Villanova, PA

88.7
Mountain Brook, AL

88.4
Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ

88.4
Highland Park, TX

88.3
Glencoe, IL

88.2

What this shows Clemson University, South Carolina ranks #1 on bachelor's+ among the cities in this ranking; the full top 100 is listed below.

California (CA)

15
New Jersey (NJ)

12
New York (NY)

9
Illinois (IL)

9
Massachusetts (MA)

9
Virginia (VA)

9
Pennsylvania (PA)

5
Maryland (MD)

5
Texas (TX)

4
Missouri (MO)

4

What this shows California leads with 15 of the 100 spots on this list.

#	City	Bachelor's+	Population
1	Clemson UniversitySouth Carolina	100.0%	6,434
2	University at BuffaloNew York	97.3%	6,776
3	StanfordCalifornia	91.1%	17,958
4	ScarsdaleNew York	90.7%	18,005
5	West University PlaceTexas	90.5%	14,907
6	University ParkTexas	90.4%	25,104
7	Short HillsNew Jersey	90.0%	14,398
8	VillanovaPennsylvania	88.7%	8,431
9	Mountain BrookAlabama	88.4%	22,160
10	Rutgers University-Busch CampusNew Jersey	88.4%	5,747
11	Highland ParkTexas	88.3%	8,774
12	GlencoeIllinois	88.2%	8,715
13	HanoverNew Hampshire	88.0%	8,520
14	LadueMissouri	87.8%	8,948
15	WinnetkaIllinois	87.3%	12,508
16	Los AltosCalifornia	87.2%	30,736
17	BethesdaMaryland	87.1%	67,403
18	WellesleyMassachusetts	87.1%	29,906
19	Rochester Institute of TechnologyNew York	86.9%	6,339
20	PiedmontCalifornia	86.8%	11,012
21	Fox ChapelPennsylvania	86.8%	5,264
22	GlendaleMissouri	86.6%	6,111
23	IrvingtonNew York	86.0%	6,541
24	AthertonCalifornia	85.9%	7,021
25	FultonMaryland	85.9%	5,946
26	Great FallsVirginia	85.7%	14,854
27	Los Altos HillsCalifornia	85.6%	8,367
28	Upper MontclairNew Jersey	85.5%	12,279
29	OrindaCalifornia	85.4%	19,472
30	Merion StationPennsylvania	85.3%	5,796
31	McLeanVirginia	85.1%	50,232
32	BrooklineMassachusetts	85.0%	62,822
33	LexingtonMassachusetts	85.0%	34,085
34	Druid HillsGeorgia	84.9%	8,278
35	WyndhamVirginia	84.9%	12,084
36	ChathamNew Jersey	84.7%	9,219
37	WilmetteIllinois	84.6%	27,550
38	PrincetonNew Jersey	84.6%	30,451
39	PotomacMaryland	84.5%	46,230
40	Old GreenwichConnecticut	84.3%	6,904
41	Wolf TrapVirginia	84.2%	16,020
42	ClaytonMissouri	83.8%	17,282
43	SharonMassachusetts	83.4%	6,022
44	Glen RidgeNew Jersey	83.4%	7,827
45	LarchmontNew York	83.3%	6,542
46	CupertinoCalifornia	83.1%	58,886
47	HobokenNew Jersey	83.1%	58,340
48	Difficult RunVirginia	83.1%	10,202
49	Cherry HillsColorado	83.0%	6,366
50	NorotonConnecticut	82.8%	5,522
51	HillsboroughCalifornia	82.7%	11,122
52	DeerfieldIllinois	82.7%	19,185
53	South KensingtonMaryland	82.7%	8,057
54	East Grand RapidsMichigan	82.6%	11,394
55	Palo AltoCalifornia	82.4%	67,231
56	Huntington WoodsMichigan	82.2%	6,322
57	Western SpringsIllinois	82.0%	13,353
58	KingstonRhode Island	82.0%	6,953
59	South RunVirginia	81.9%	6,714
60	Lake BluffIllinois	81.8%	5,834
61	NorthfieldIllinois	81.7%	5,683
62	BellaireTexas	81.7%	17,116
63	Whitefish BayWisconsin	81.5%	14,750
64	KensingtonCalifornia	81.4%	5,292
65	HinsdaleIllinois	81.3%	17,155
66	SaratogaCalifornia	81.2%	30,335
67	MoragaCalifornia	81.0%	16,790
68	Fair HavenNew Jersey	81.0%	6,182
69	East HillsNew York	81.0%	7,249
70	TravilahMaryland	80.9%	11,128
71	Pepper PikeOhio	80.9%	6,807
72	Lake ForestIllinois	80.8%	19,190
73	NeedhamMassachusetts	80.8%	32,059
74	North HillsNew York	80.8%	5,419
75	NewtonMassachusetts	80.7%	88,504
76	RidgewoodNew Jersey	80.6%	26,076
77	Des PeresMissouri	80.5%	9,145
78	RyeNew York	80.5%	16,410
79	San MarinoCalifornia	80.2%	12,279
80	Notre DameIndiana	80.2%	6,754
81	BelmontMassachusetts	80.2%	27,009
82	CambridgeMassachusetts	80.2%	117,794
83	Little SilverNew Jersey	79.8%	6,096
84	Dunn LoringVirginia	79.8%	8,782
85	MarvinNorth Carolina	79.7%	6,542
86	Falls ChurchVirginia	79.7%	14,593
87	TysonsVirginia	79.7%	28,022
88	HinghamMassachusetts	79.6%	5,343
89	Briar ChapelNorth Carolina	79.4%	6,084
90	Grandview HeightsOhio	79.3%	8,422
91	TenaflyNew Jersey	79.2%	15,252
92	Upper ArlingtonOhio	79.2%	36,319
93	SwarthmorePennsylvania	79.2%	6,524
94	Tamalpais-Homestead ValleyCalifornia	79.1%	12,153
95	Briarcliff ManorNew York	79.1%	7,333
96	Manhattan BeachCalifornia	79.0%	34,584
97	ChesterbrookPennsylvania	79.0%	5,439
98	GreenwoodColorado	78.9%	15,485
99	Grosse Pointe FarmsMichigan	78.9%	9,957
100	Franklin LakesNew Jersey	78.9%	11,011

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023 vintage, released December 2024), the underlying dataset behind this ranking spans 28,702 U.S. incorporated places and census-designated places nationally; this page shows the top 100 by bachelor's+. See our methodology for the full data-collection process.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023), Table S1501. Verify directly with the source agency: U.S. Census Bureau, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES.

Questions about the most educated cities list

What does this most educated cities ranking measure?

It orders cities by bachelor's+ using U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023), Table S1501. It is a single-metric comparison, not an overall score for quality of life or a recommendation about where to live.

Are metropolitan areas included?

The rows are individual cities or Census-defined places covered by the named source, not combined metropolitan areas. The page states any extra coverage or population rule that applies to this specific bachelor's+ ranking.

Can I download and verify the ranking?

Yes. The CSV above contains the same ranked rows shown in the table. The page names the source and vintage, links to the source agency, and explains category-specific caveats before the data.

What to do with the most educated cities list

Use this ranking to narrow the field, then dig into the specific places you're considering.

Clemson University, SC leads this list at 100.0% -- see its full profile before drawing conclusions from the rank alone. Clemson University profile
Put two specific cities side by side across every tracked metric, not just this one ranking. Compare cities
See every ranked city in South Carolina together, not just how Clemson University compares nationally. South Carolina state page

This ranking reflects the single bachelor's+ metric only -- it is not a composite of everything that makes a city a good fit.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Browse all city profiles → | Explore city rankings →

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

The 100 Most Educated Cities

Top 12 cities by bachelor's+

Which states show up most

Questions about the most educated cities list

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