Advanced Degree Comparison
Demographics

California vs Colorado: Advanced Degree

Colorado has a higher advanced-degree share than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
14.7%
Adults age 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (ACS 2023).
Colorado flag
Colorado
CO • West
Winner
18.1%
Adults age 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (ACS 2023).

Visual Comparison

California 14.7%
Colorado 18.1%

Difference: 3.40 percentage points — Colorado leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for advanced degree.

California #14 · 14.7%
Colorado #6 · 18.1%
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Advanced Degree

#1 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
22.4%
#2 Maryland flag Maryland
21.3%
#3 Connecticut flag Connecticut
19.8%
#4 Vermont flag Vermont
18.5%
#5 Virginia flag Virginia
18.5%
#6 Colorado flag Colorado
18.1%
#7 New York flag New York
18.1%
#8 New Jersey flag New Jersey
17.5%
#9 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
16.2%
#10 Washington flag Washington
16.1%
Selected states
#14 California flag California
14.7%

California ranks 14th and Colorado ranks 6th nationally for advanced degree.

Related Context

Advanced Education & Economic Outcomes

Graduate and professional degree holders typically earn more and face lower unemployment.

What This Means

California vs Colorado: Advanced Degree in context

Colorado has a advanced degree of 18.1%, compared with 14.7% in California, a gap of 23.1%. Adults age 25+ with a graduate or professional degree (ACS 2023).

California
14.7%
Colorado
18.1%
Difference
3.40 percentage points

People Also Ask

California vs Colorado Advanced Degree — Common Questions

Q What is California's advanced degree?

California's advanced degree is 14.7%.

Q What is Colorado's advanced degree?

Colorado's advanced degree is 18.1%.

Q Which state has a higher advanced degree — California or Colorado?

Colorado has a higher advanced-degree share than California.

Q How much more advanced degree does Colorado have compared to California?

3.40 percentage points.

More Comparisons: California vs Colorado

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Full Comparison

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.