Bachelor's Degree Comparison
Demographics

California vs Massachusetts: Bachelor's Degree

Massachusetts has a higher college-educated share than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
37.5%
Adults age 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (ACS 2023).
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA • Northeast
Winner
47.8%
Adults age 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (ACS 2023).

Visual Comparison

California 37.5%
Massachusetts 47.8%

Difference: 10.30 percentage points — Massachusetts leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for bachelor's degree.

California #16 · 37.5%
Massachusetts #1 · 47.8%
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Bachelor's Degree

#1 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
47.8%
#2 Colorado flag Colorado
46.4%
#3 New Jersey flag New Jersey
43.8%
#4 Maryland flag Maryland
43.7%
#5 Vermont flag Vermont
43.7%
#6 Connecticut flag Connecticut
42.9%
#7 Virginia flag Virginia
42.4%
#8 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
40.7%
#9 New York flag New York
40.6%
#10 Washington flag Washington
40.5%
Selected states
#16 California flag California
37.5%

California ranks 16th and Massachusetts ranks 1st nationally for bachelor's degree.

Related Context

Education & Economic Outcomes

College attainment correlates strongly with income, employment, and economic mobility.

What This Means

California vs Massachusetts: Bachelor's Degree in context

Massachusetts has a bachelor's degree of 47.8%, compared with 37.5% in California, a gap of 27.5%. Adults age 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher (ACS 2023).

California
37.5%
Massachusetts
47.8%
Difference
10.30 percentage points

People Also Ask

California vs Massachusetts Bachelor's Degree — Common Questions

Q What is California's bachelor's degree?

California's bachelor's degree is 37.5%.

Q What is Massachusetts's bachelor's degree?

Massachusetts's bachelor's degree is 47.8%.

Q Which state has a higher bachelor's degree — California or Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has a higher college-educated share than California.

Q How much more bachelor's degree does Massachusetts have compared to California?

10.30 percentage points.

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.