Counties with the most college graduates in New York
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 York 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.
#30. Madison County
- 26.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.4% ($35,169 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 34.7% ($33,150)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.3% ($39,175)
- Bachelor's degree: 14.8% ($49,134)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.8% ($68,582)
#29. Oneida County
- 26.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 11.0% ($21,971 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 30.8% ($31,274)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.6% ($37,973)
- Bachelor's degree: 15.1% ($52,275)
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.5% ($62,716)
#28. Cortland County
- 26.9% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.3% ($27,017 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.2% ($32,532)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 32.6% ($39,401)
- Bachelor's degree: 14.7% ($50,099)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.2% ($54,871)
#27. Livingston County
- 27.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.2% ($28,378 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 32.4% ($35,157)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.9% ($40,141)
- Bachelor's degree: 14.8% ($50,266)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.7% ($61,627)
#26. Broome County
- 28.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.7% ($21,820 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.0% ($31,154)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.4% ($35,558)
- Bachelor's degree: 15.7% ($51,677)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.1% ($61,952)
#25. Essex County
- 29.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.5% ($24,179 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 31.9% ($31,396)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.8% ($35,481)
- Bachelor's degree: 16.6% ($41,704)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.3% ($63,678)
#24. Orange County
- 30.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 10.1% ($26,983 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 28.6% ($37,554)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.5% ($45,419)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.7% ($66,982)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.1% ($86,241)
#23. Schenectady County
- 32.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.1% ($24,942 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 28.4% ($31,784)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.4% ($40,747)
- Bachelor's degree: 18.0% ($57,873)
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.1% ($74,503)
#22. Warren County
- 32.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.9% ($26,576 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 29.5% ($34,332)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.3% ($40,690)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.2% ($48,969)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.1% ($68,065)
#21. Ulster County
- 33.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.8% ($25,064 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 28.8% ($33,849)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.2% ($39,288)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.8% ($52,349)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.4% ($72,807)
#20. Otsego County
- 33.4% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.4% ($21,818 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 30.7% ($31,734)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.6% ($34,321)
- Bachelor's degree: 18.1% ($42,013)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.3% ($58,596)
#19. Queens County
- 33.5% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 17.4% ($25,177 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.9% ($32,395)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 22.3% ($41,662)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.7% ($57,112)
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.7% ($74,665)
#18. Columbia County
- 33.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.1% ($26,340 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 29.3% ($35,759)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.0% ($36,745)
- Bachelor's degree: 17.6% ($53,338)
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.1% ($66,403)
#17. Rensselaer County
- 33.9% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.5% ($22,917 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 27.5% ($37,156)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.1% ($44,468)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.0% ($60,842)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.9% ($69,238)
#16. Richmond County
- 34.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 11.5% ($25,980 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 29.7% ($41,870)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 24.0% ($47,765)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.0% ($65,761)
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.7% ($80,704)
#15. Erie County
- 35.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.0% ($22,720 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.8% ($32,458)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 30.1% ($38,758)
- Bachelor's degree: 19.7% ($53,663)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.4% ($65,907)
#14. Ontario County
- 35.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.8% ($24,717 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.2% ($32,109)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 31.2% ($37,964)
- Bachelor's degree: 19.6% ($53,482)
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.2% ($68,326)
#13. Onondaga County
- 36.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.8% ($25,256 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 25.4% ($34,297)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 29.7% ($39,446)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.1% ($56,559)
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.0% ($67,729)
#12. Dutchess County
- 36.4% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.9% ($25,545 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.4% ($36,497)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.4% ($43,459)
- Bachelor's degree: 19.4% ($62,466)
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.0% ($85,009)
#11. Suffolk County
- 37.3% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.6% ($32,970 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.4% ($42,250)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 26.7% ($50,977)
- Bachelor's degree: 20.4% ($67,223)
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.9% ($91,184)
#10. Kings County
- 38.8% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 16.8% ($22,608 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 25.2% ($31,262)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 19.1% ($40,242)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.3% ($62,465)
- Graduate or professional degree: 15.6% ($78,372)
#9. Monroe County
- 39.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 9.2% ($23,033 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 23.1% ($31,030)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 28.6% ($37,101)
- Bachelor's degree: 21.5% ($54,234)
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.7% ($66,863)
#8. Putnam County
- 40.9% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.0% ($21,955 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 26.4% ($40,697)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 25.7% ($48,879)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.1% ($68,186)
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.8% ($82,598)
#7. Rockland County
- 41.9% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 11.5% ($25,099 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 21.9% ($35,030)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 24.7% ($44,263)
- Bachelor's degree: 22.9% ($69,032)
- Graduate or professional degree: 19.0% ($90,193)
#6. Saratoga County
- 42.0% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 6.3% ($29,778 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 24.3% ($37,485)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.4% ($46,314)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.2% ($67,663)
- Graduate or professional degree: 18.8% ($81,485)
#5. Albany County
- 43.6% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 7.6% ($21,698 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 21.8% ($34,018)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 27.0% ($42,362)
- Bachelor's degree: 22.1% ($59,499)
- Graduate or professional degree: 21.4% ($72,181)
#4. Nassau County
- 46.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 8.4% ($29,084 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 22.0% ($40,408)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 22.8% ($51,608)
- Bachelor's degree: 25.6% ($76,513)
- Graduate or professional degree: 21.1% ($94,141)
#3. Westchester County
- 49.7% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 11.4% ($26,271 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 19.0% ($34,932)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 19.9% ($44,265)
- Bachelor's degree: 24.5% ($75,733)
- Graduate or professional degree: 25.2% ($101,710)
#2. Tompkins County
- 53.1% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 5.5% ($22,019 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 18.5% ($31,419)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 22.9% ($35,695)
- Bachelor's degree: 23.4% ($44,178)
- Graduate or professional degree: 29.6% ($56,211)
#1. New York County
- 62.2% of population 25 years and over with Bachelor's degree or higher
- Less than high school diploma: 12.2% ($21,808 median earnings)
- High school graduate: 12.2% ($31,091)
- Some college or Associate's degree: 13.4% ($39,446)
- Bachelor's degree: 31.7% ($82,717)
- Graduate or professional degree: 30.5% ($104,488)
