Education in Boulder, Colorado: official figures
76.8% of adults aged 25 and over in Boulder held a bachelor's degree or higher in 2020-2024, 8th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 35.7%; Colorado: 45.7%).
How many people in Boulder have a graduate degree?
40.4% of adults aged 25 and over in Boulder held a master's, professional or doctoral degree, 10th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 14.1%); 9.4% held a doctorate.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the education level of adults in Boulder?
In Boulder, 6.6% of adults aged 25 and over had a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest qualification and 13.9% 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 Boulder?
43,633 residents of Boulder aged 3 and over were enrolled in school or college in 2020-2024, 41.5% of that age group, 23rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 24.7%); 9,992 were in kindergarten to grade 12, including 3,427 in grades 9 to 12.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many college students live in Boulder?
26,879 residents of Boulder were enrolled as college undergraduates and 5,792 in graduate or professional school in 2020-2024, together 31.1% of residents aged 3 and over, 18th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many children in Boulder attend preschool?
970 children in Boulder were enrolled in nursery school or preschool in 2020-2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow Boulder compares with other cities in the United States
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (2020-2024)
Boulder ranks 8 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Cambridge | 80.8% |
| 6 | Ann Arbor | 77.9% |
| 7 | Sammamish | 77.1% |
| 8 | Boulder | 76.8% |
| 9 | Davis | 76.8% |
| 10 | Chapel Hill | 76.6% |
| 11 | Redmond | 75.3% |
Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (2020-2024)
Boulder ranks 10 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 13 | Oak Park | 38.7% |
Adults 25+ without a high school diploma (2020-2024)
Boulder ranks 795 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ without a high school diploma |
|---|---|---|
| 792 | Flower Mound | 2.7% |
| 793 | South Jordan | 2.7% |
| 794 | Spring Hill | 2.7% |
| 795 | Boulder | 2.7% |
| 796 | Newton | 2.7% |
| 797 | Redmond | 2.6% |
| 798 | Kirkland | 2.6% |
Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school (2020-2024)
Boulder ranks 18 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Corvallis | 32.2% |
| 16 | Auburn | 31.6% |
| 17 | Champaign | 31.1% |
| 18 | Boulder | 31.1% |
| 19 | Santa Cruz | 30.8% |
| 20 | Harrisonburg | 30.4% |
| 21 | Logan | 30.4% |
More on Boulder: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.