Most Educated in North Carolina

Top 100 cities ranked by most educated

Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense Highest Income Lowest Income Lowest Unemployment Highest Unemployment Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Highest Home Value Most Affordable Highest Rent Lowest Rent Most Educated Youngest Cities Oldest Cities Safest Cities Highest Crime Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities

All Countries · United States · North Carolina

Most Educated — North Carolina

1 Marvin 79.7%

2 Briar Chapel 79.4%

3 Chapel Hill 77.2%

4 Davidson 75.6%

5 Morrisville 73.9%

6 Carrboro 70.4%

7 Cary 70.2%

8 Holly Springs 67.7%

9 Porters Neck 67.5%

10 Lake Norman of Iredell 66.7%

11 Apex 66.6%

12 Rolesville 66.5%

13 Weddington 65.9%

14 St. James 65.7%

15 Pinehurst 62.0%

16 Hillsborough 61.8%

17 Whispering Pines 60.3%

18 Cornelius 59.6%

19 Summerfield 59.4%

20 Black Mountain 58.7%

21 Wake Forest 57.8%

22 Huntersville 57.3%

23 Durham 55.7%

24 Harrisburg 55.7%

25 Waxhaw 54.9%

26 Southern Pines 54.7%

27 Ogden 54.7%

28 Matthews 53.9%

29 Elon 53.2%

30 Boone 53.1%

31 Raleigh 52.9%

32 Fuquay-Varina 52.9%

33 Asheville 52.0%

34 Stallings 51.0%

35 Westport 50.9%

36 Oak Ridge 50.6%

37 Clemmons 49.1%

38 Carolina Beach 47.5%

39 Charlotte 47.4%

40 Woodfin 46.9%

41 Pineville 46.6%

42 Myrtle Grove 46.5%

43 Wilmington 45.8%

44 Garner 45.8%

45 Belmont 45.7%

46 Mooresville 45.3%

47 Lewisville 45.0%

48 Murraysville 44.5%

49 Cramerton 44.3%

50 Knightdale 44.2%

51 Kill Devil Hills 44.1%

52 Oak Island 43.0%

53 Lake Norman of Catawba 42.6%

54 Winterville 42.4%

55 Wesley Chapel 42.0%

56 Spout Springs 41.8%

57 Concord 41.7%

58 Mills River 41.3%

59 Indian Trail 41.1%

60 Stokesdale 41.0%

61 Mebane 40.7%

62 Greensboro 39.9%

63 Greenville 39.3%

64 Fletcher 39.1%

65 Leland 39.0%

66 Mint Hill 38.4%

67 Gibsonville 38.4%

68 Hampstead 38.3%

69 Northchase 38.2%

70 Mount Holly 37.9%

71 Hendersonville 37.9%

72 Brevard 37.5%

73 Wendell 37.3%

74 Winston-Salem 37.2%

75 Kernersville 36.2%

76 Aberdeen 36.0%

77 Hickory 35.9%

78 Clayton 35.6%

79 Etowah 35.5%

80 Morehead City 34.6%

81 High Point 33.9%

82 Anderson Creek 33.0%

83 Archer Lodge 31.9%

84 Waynesville 31.3%

85 Silver Lake 31.0%

86 Swannanoa 30.8%

87 Moyock 30.6%

88 New Bern 29.6%

89 Cullowhee 29.4%

90 Walkertown 29.4%

91 Burlington 28.7%

92 Fayetteville 28.6%

93 King 28.2%

94 Kannapolis 28.1%

95 Elizabeth City 28.0%

96 Gastonia 27.7%

97 Salisbury 26.9%

98 Statesville 26.9%

99 Angier 26.9%

100 Shelby 26.6%

The most educated cities in North Carolina have the highest percentages of residents with bachelor's degrees or higher. Marvin leads with 79.7% 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 Marvin, 79.7% 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.

Browse Rankings by Region

United States — By Region

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

By Country

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Netherlands Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe