Counties with the most college graduates in Maine
The American philosopher and psychologist John Dewey once said, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." Dewey advocated for an educational paradigm called pragmatism, which stresses the importance of learning academic concepts by experiencing them firsthand, instead of through lecture and repetition in a classroom.
While the philosophy is used by many educators (especially those working in fields where the value of work experience exceeds the value placed on an academic background), many people take great pride in their formal educational credentials because of the valuable skills such educations provided and because of the immense amount of work that goes into earning a degree.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most college graduates in Maine using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percent of the population 25 years and over that has a Bachelor's degree or higher using 2020 5-year estimates.
Keep reading to see which counties in your state have the most college graduates.
#16. Somerset County
- 17.9% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.7% ($14,535 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 41.4% ($27,281)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.0% ($31,857)
- Bachelor's degree: 13.4% ($43,328)
- Graduate or professional degree: 4.5% ($60,344)
#15. Piscataquis County
- 18.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.4% ($25,500 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 41.5% ($26,152)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.4% ($33,658)
- Bachelor's degree: 13.3% ($37,766)
- Graduate or professional degree: 5.4% ($46,250)
#14. Aroostook County
- 19.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 10.2% ($17,093 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 37.2% ($27,836)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 32.8% ($35,491)
- Bachelor's degree: 13.6% ($45,237)
- Graduate or professional degree: 6.1% ($57,147)
#13. Oxford County
- 20.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.6% ($23,013 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 41.0% ($28,071)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.8% ($32,123)
- Bachelor's degree: 13.9% ($39,471)
- Graduate or professional degree: 6.7% ($54,601)
#12. Androscoggin County
- 22.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.7% ($25,000 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 35.6% ($32,255)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 33.0% ($37,807)
- Bachelor's degree: 15.2% ($50,238)
- Graduate or professional degree: 7.5% ($59,205)
#11. Washington County
- 23.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.1% ($24,574 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 38.0% ($27,247)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.2% ($28,212)
- Bachelor's degree: 14.9% ($39,867)
- Graduate or professional degree: 8.9% ($43,878)
#10. Franklin County
- 26.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.4% ($26,359 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 38.7% ($30,206)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.6% ($31,060)
- Bachelor's degree: 16.2% ($37,988)
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.1% ($54,185)
#9. Penobscot County
- 28.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.1% ($25,265 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 33.4% ($30,166)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.9% ($35,390)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.7% ($42,603)
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.9% ($57,541)
#8. Kennebec County
- 29.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.8% ($22,794 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 33.4% ($30,817)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.5% ($36,667)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.8% ($45,487)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.6% ($59,553)
#7. Waldo County
- 31.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.2% ($27,821 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.8% ($28,454)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.4% ($36,936)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.4% ($41,428)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.2% ($51,504)
#6. York County
- 32.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.2% ($30,305 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 29.5% ($35,989)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 32.1% ($40,721)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.8% ($51,460)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.3% ($63,613)
#5. Knox County
- 34.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.0% ($26,699 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.9% ($31,129)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.0% ($30,382)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.7% ($35,138)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.5% ($53,682)
#4. Hancock County
- 35.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 5.3% ($27,096 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.6% ($31,983)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.0% ($33,984)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.3% ($44,172)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.9% ($52,349)
#3. Lincoln County
- 36.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.2% ($22,472 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 33.0% ($29,852)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 24.6% ($34,184)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.6% ($40,836)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.5% ($54,602)
#2. Sagadahoc County
- 37.4% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 5.5% ($25,559 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 30.4% ($34,144)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 26.7% ($40,734)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.8% ($48,137)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.6% ($61,708)
#1. Cumberland County
- 48.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 4.7% ($28,481 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 21.6% ($33,257)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 25.6% ($40,121)
- Bachelor's degree: 29.1% ($51,860)
- Graduate or professional degree: 19.0% ($65,653)
