Most Educated in California

Top 100 cities ranked by most educated

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All Countries · United States · California

Most Educated — California

1 Stanford 91.1%

2 Los Altos 87.2%

3 Piedmont 86.8%

4 Atherton 85.9%

5 Los Altos Hills 85.6%

6 Orinda 85.4%

7 Cupertino 83.1%

8 Hillsborough 82.7%

9 Palo Alto 82.4%

10 Kensington 81.4%

11 Saratoga 81.2%

12 Moraga 81.0%

13 San Marino 80.2%

14 Tamalpais-Homestead Valley 79.1%

15 Manhattan Beach 79.0%

16 Tiburon 78.7%

17 Palos Verdes Estates 78.5%

18 Kentfield 77.2%

19 Mill Valley 77.1%

20 Lafayette 77.0%

21 Corte Madera 76.8%

22 Marina del Rey 76.7%

23 Hermosa Beach 76.5%

24 University of California-Santa Barbara 76.5%

25 Albany 76.4%

26 Alamo 76.3%

27 Woodside 75.9%

28 La Cañada Flintridge 75.5%

29 Davis 75.1%

30 Berkeley 75.1%

31 Emeryville 74.9%

32 Montecito 74.9%

33 Los Gatos 74.9%

34 Sausalito 74.5%

35 Strawberry CDP (Marin County) 74.5%

36 Mountain View 74.3%

37 Foster City 74.1%

38 California Polytechnic State University 73.8%

39 South Pasadena 72.7%

40 Saranap 72.7%

41 Menlo Park 72.7%

42 Danville 72.5%

43 Rolling Hills Estates 72.2%

44 Solana Beach 71.8%

45 Malibu 71.6%

46 Contra Costa Centre 71.5%

47 Calabasas 71.3%

48 San Ramon 71.2%

49 San Anselmo 70.8%

50 Irvine 70.6%

51 Blackhawk 70.5%

52 Camino Tassajara 70.0%

53 Newport Beach 69.6%

54 Dublin 69.5%

55 Larkspur 69.4%

56 Lucas Valley-Marinwood 69.4%

57 Beverly Hills 69.4%

58 Walnut Creek 69.4%

59 Sunnyvale 69.2%

60 Rancho Palos Verdes 69.1%

61 Belmont 68.9%

62 Santa Monica 68.9%

63 Pleasanton 68.7%

64 San Carlos 68.1%

65 Encinitas 67.1%

66 Laguna Beach 67.1%

67 Agoura Hills 66.5%

68 Westlake Village 66.4%

69 Redondo Beach 66.4%

70 Coto de Caza 66.3%

71 Coronado 66.2%

72 Ladera Ranch 65.6%

73 Fairfax 65.5%

74 Sierra Madre 65.4%

75 Santa Clara 65.3%

76 Culver City 64.9%

77 Gold River 64.7%

78 Rancho Mission Viejo 64.5%

79 Burlingame 64.2%

80 Oak Park 63.2%

81 West Hollywood 62.9%

82 Fremont 62.7%

83 El Segundo 62.5%

84 Granite Bay 62.0%

85 Topanga 61.6%

86 Rio del Mar 61.4%

87 Carlsbad 61.4%

88 North Tustin 61.0%

89 University of California-Davis 60.8%

90 Rossmoor 60.7%

91 View Park-Windsor Hills 60.4%

92 Alameda 60.3%

93 San Francisco 60.1%

94 Campbell 59.5%

95 Laguna Niguel 59.3%

96 Claremont 59.3%

97 Truckee 59.2%

98 Clayton 58.8%

99 Milpitas 58.6%

100 Pacific Grove 58.5%

The most educated cities in California have the highest percentages of residents with bachelor's degrees or higher. Stanford leads with 91.1% of residents holding a bachelor's degree.

High education levels typically correlate with higher incomes, lower unemployment, better health outcomes, and more civic engagement. These cities often host or are adjacent to major universities and research institutions that drive both education and economic development.

Highly educated communities tend to attract knowledge-based industries and employers in technology, healthcare, finance, and professional services, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of educational attainment and economic opportunity.

Did You Know?

1. In Stanford, 91.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree — more than double the national average of about 33%.
2. Cities near major research universities consistently rank among the most educated in the country.
3. Higher education rates correlate with higher incomes, lower crime, and better health outcomes across communities.

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