Education in Berkeley, California: official figures
74.9% of adults aged 25 and over in Berkeley held a bachelor's degree or higher in 2020-2024, 13th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 35.7%; California: 37.1%).
How many people in Berkeley have a graduate degree?
42.0% of adults aged 25 and over in Berkeley held a master's, professional or doctoral degree, 9th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 14.1%); 10.6% held a doctorate.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the education level of adults in Berkeley?
In Berkeley, 6.5% of adults aged 25 and over had a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest qualification and 14.4% had some college or an associate's degree (US: 26.0% and 27.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many students are there in Berkeley?
44,367 residents of Berkeley aged 3 and over were enrolled in school or college in 2020-2024, 37.7% of that age group, 34th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 24.7%); 11,027 were in kindergarten to grade 12, including 3,593 in grades 9 to 12.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many college students live in Berkeley?
24,648 residents of Berkeley were enrolled as college undergraduates and 7,324 in graduate or professional school in 2020-2024, together 27.2% of residents aged 3 and over, 24th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many children in Berkeley attend preschool?
1,368 children in Berkeley were enrolled in nursery school or preschool in 2020-2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow Berkeley compares with other cities in the United States
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (2020-2024)
Berkeley ranks 13 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Chapel Hill | 76.6% |
| 11 | Redmond | 75.3% |
| 12 | Mountain View | 75.0% |
| 13 | Berkeley | 74.9% |
| 14 | Fulshear | 74.8% |
| 15 | Carmel | 74.4% |
| 16 | Edina | 72.7% |
Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (2020-2024)
Berkeley ranks 9 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Chapel Hill | 45.2% |
| 7 | Mountain View | 45.1% |
| 8 | Davis | 44.5% |
| 9 | Berkeley | 42.0% |
| 10 | Boulder | 40.4% |
| 11 | Evanston | 39.7% |
| 12 | Sunnyvale | 39.2% |
Adults 25+ without a high school diploma (2020-2024)
Berkeley ranks 707 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ without a high school diploma |
|---|---|---|
| 704 | Blue Springs | 4.3% |
| 705 | Allen | 4.2% |
| 706 | Corvallis | 4.2% |
| 707 | Berkeley | 4.2% |
| 708 | Waukesha | 4.2% |
| 709 | Madison | 4.2% |
| 710 | Duluth | 4.2% |
Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school (2020-2024)
Berkeley ranks 24 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Logan | 30.4% |
| 22 | Flagstaff | 28.9% |
| 23 | Tuscaloosa | 28.6% |
| 24 | Berkeley | 27.2% |
| 25 | Athens | 26.8% |
| 26 | Cambridge | 25.9% |
| 27 | Tallahassee | 25.8% |
More on Berkeley: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B15003: Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 d0c8609e958022459215c8a31d7452ef7528ee8dd70fbb6f9a99de0f491f42d7), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 609deae49c91…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B14001: School Enrollment by Level of School for the Population 3 Years and Over (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e175af4a33616da45fb590da3d67f37eee65a3cb51e6f5864c64ff31fb716b81), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b85f52a6d640…)
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