Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts: official figures
80.8% of adults aged 25 and over in Cambridge held a bachelor's degree or higher in 2020-2024, 5th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 35.7%; Massachusetts: 47.3%).
How many people in Cambridge have a graduate degree?
51.2% of adults aged 25 and over in Cambridge held a master's, professional or doctoral degree, 3rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 14.1%); 15.8% held a doctorate.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the education level of adults in Cambridge?
In Cambridge, 5.8% of adults aged 25 and over had a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest qualification and 9.5% 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 Cambridge?
40,994 residents of Cambridge aged 3 and over were enrolled in school or college in 2020-2024, 35.5% of that age group, 40th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 24.7%); 9,741 were in kindergarten to grade 12, including 2,777 in grades 9 to 12.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many college students live in Cambridge?
17,112 residents of Cambridge were enrolled as college undergraduates and 12,749 in graduate or professional school in 2020-2024, together 25.9% of residents aged 3 and over, 26th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many children in Cambridge attend preschool?
1,392 children in Cambridge were enrolled in nursery school or preschool in 2020-2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow Cambridge compares with other cities in the United States
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (2020-2024)
Cambridge ranks 5 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Palo Alto | 82.3% |
| 3 | Cupertino | 82.2% |
| 4 | Newton | 81.1% |
| 5 | Cambridge | 80.8% |
| 6 | Ann Arbor | 77.9% |
| 7 | Sammamish | 77.1% |
| 8 | Boulder | 76.8% |
Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (2020-2024)
Cambridge ranks 3 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ with a graduate or professional degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto | 55.0% |
| 2 | Newton | 53.0% |
| 3 | Cambridge | 51.2% |
| 4 | Cupertino | 48.6% |
| 5 | Ann Arbor | 48.0% |
| 6 | Chapel Hill | 45.2% |
| 7 | Mountain View | 45.1% |
Adults 25+ without a high school diploma (2020-2024)
Cambridge ranks 725 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults 25+ without a high school diploma |
|---|---|---|
| 722 | Rockwall | 4.0% |
| 723 | Farmington Hills | 4.0% |
| 724 | Sandy | 4.0% |
| 725 | Cambridge | 4.0% |
| 726 | La Crosse | 3.9% |
| 727 | Charleston | 3.9% |
| 728 | Millcreek | 3.9% |
Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school (2020-2024)
Cambridge ranks 26 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents aged 3+ enrolled in college or graduate school |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Tuscaloosa | 28.6% |
| 24 | Berkeley | 27.2% |
| 25 | Athens | 26.8% |
| 26 | Cambridge | 25.9% |
| 27 | Tallahassee | 25.8% |
| 28 | Lawrence | 25.2% |
| 29 | New Brunswick | 25.1% |
More on Cambridge: 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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