Education
California vs Massachusetts: College Graduation Rate
Massachusetts has a higher 4-year college graduation rate than California.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for college graduation rate.
California
#6 · 60.2%
Massachusetts
#2 · 66.7%
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — College Graduation Rate
#1
Rhode Island
73.3%
Rhode Island
#2
Massachusetts
66.7%
Massachusetts
#3
Vermont
63.6%
Vermont
#4
Connecticut
63.6%
Connecticut
#5
Iowa
63.1%
Iowa
#6
California
60.2%
California
#7
Minnesota
59.8%
Minnesota
#8
Virginia
58.6%
Virginia
#9
Pennsylvania
58.5%
Pennsylvania
#10
Maine
57.7%
Maine
California ranks 6th and Massachusetts ranks 2nd nationally for college graduation rate.
What this means
California vs Massachusetts: College Graduation Rate in context
Massachusetts's college graduation rate is 66.7%, compared with 60.2% in California, a gap of 10.8%. 4-year college graduation rate (%).
California
60.2%
Massachusetts
66.7%
Difference
6.50 percentage points
People also ask
California vs Massachusetts College Graduation Rate — common questions
QWhat is California's college graduation rate?
California's college graduation rate is 60.2%.
QWhat is Massachusetts's college graduation rate?
Massachusetts's college graduation rate is 66.7%.
QWhich state has a higher college graduation rate — California or Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a higher 4-year college graduation rate than California.
More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
Latest incorporated NCES release
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
State education statistic as defined in the metric description.