Counties with the most college graduates in New Jersey
Counties with the most college graduates in New Jersey
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 New Jersey 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.
#21. Cumberland County
- 16.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 19.5% ($22,680 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 38.9% ($29,239)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 25.0% ($35,532)
- Bachelor's degree: 11.1% ($55,249)
- Graduate or professional degree: 5.5% ($67,641)
#20. Salem County
- 21.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 10.4% ($27,481 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 38.5% ($35,233)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.4% ($42,179)
- Bachelor's degree: 14.5% ($60,689)
- Graduate or professional degree: 7.2% ($74,483)
#19. Atlantic County
- 28.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 12.2% ($23,921 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 32.3% ($30,837)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 26.8% ($36,529)
- Bachelor's degree: 18.6% ($56,696)
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.1% ($77,773)
#18. Passaic County
- 29.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 15.5% ($25,254 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 33.7% ($32,474)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 21.2% ($42,167)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.0% ($62,380)
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.6% ($83,027)
#17. Ocean County
- 31.4% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.6% ($30,109 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 33.5% ($37,713)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.6% ($44,129)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.7% ($60,274)
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.7% ($70,879)
#16. Camden County
- 32.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 11.2% ($24,875 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 29.5% ($34,311)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.0% ($41,116)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.0% ($60,812)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.3% ($81,408)
#15. Cape May County
- 33.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.6% ($20,226 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 32.1% ($33,055)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.8% ($38,623)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.6% ($56,255)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.0% ($75,920)
#14. Gloucester County
- 33.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.5% ($29,964 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.9% ($40,323)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.8% ($46,390)
- Bachelor's degree: 22.6% ($66,469)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.2% ($84,638)
#13. Warren County
- 34.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.3% ($25,538 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 30.7% ($41,820)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.5% ($47,974)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.3% ($65,285)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.2% ($70,482)
#12. Essex County
- 36.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 13.3% ($23,855 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 27.9% ($31,436)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 22.5% ($39,269)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.2% ($63,159)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.0% ($91,461)
#11. Sussex County
- 36.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 4.6% ($39,112 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 30.4% ($45,076)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.4% ($49,908)
- Bachelor's degree: 24.2% ($69,996)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.4% ($91,580)
#10. Union County
- 37.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 12.9% ($26,430 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 28.2% ($35,342)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 21.9% ($42,242)
- Bachelor's degree: 22.3% ($67,600)
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.8% ($91,241)
#9. Burlington County
- 38.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.3% ($27,266 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 27.9% ($39,487)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.4% ($46,791)
- Bachelor's degree: 24.9% ($68,766)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.6% ($91,741)
#8. Mercer County
- 43.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 10.4% ($26,751 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 25.4% ($32,913)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 20.7% ($44,043)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.2% ($65,810)
- Graduate or professional degree: 20.4% ($94,450)
#7. Hudson County
- 44.0% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 14.3% ($24,338 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 24.4% ($30,610)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 17.3% ($37,693)
- Bachelor's degree: 26.4% ($70,330)
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.6% ($91,665)
#6. Middlesex County
- 44.4% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 10.1% ($27,450 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 24.6% ($37,169)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 21.0% ($45,731)
- Bachelor's degree: 26.4% ($67,276)
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.9% ($91,185)
#5. Monmouth County
- 47.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.3% ($25,323 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 22.7% ($40,191)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 23.7% ($48,351)
- Bachelor's degree: 28.8% ($72,105)
- Graduate or professional degree: 18.6% ($93,151)
#4. Bergen County
- 50.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.2% ($29,236 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 21.9% ($38,981)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 20.2% ($49,015)
- Bachelor's degree: 31.0% ($72,163)
- Graduate or professional degree: 19.7% ($96,799)
#3. Hunterdon County
- 54.0% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 4.5% ($29,792 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 20.5% ($42,402)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 21.0% ($51,959)
- Bachelor's degree: 31.9% ($81,528)
- Graduate or professional degree: 22.1% ($97,513)
#2. Morris County
- 55.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 5.6% ($31,201 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 19.1% ($40,647)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 20.0% ($50,746)
- Bachelor's degree: 32.5% ($79,630)
- Graduate or professional degree: 22.8% ($104,220)
#1. Somerset County
- 55.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 5.8% ($28,730 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 19.5% ($37,461)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 19.2% ($46,912)
- Bachelor's degree: 30.3% ($75,974)
- Graduate or professional degree: 25.3% ($109,053)
