Educational Attainment of Northern Virginia Overview
Northern Virginia localities are home to some of the most highly educated residents in the nation. This high education level of the region's citizens creates a strong, flourishing business community. The percentage of Northern Virginia's population age 25 or older holding a bachelor's or higher degree is nearly double that of the United States, and the percentage holding a graduate or professional is more than double the national rate.
About the Data and Proper Data Interpretation
Educational attainment data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). It is important to note that any data sourced from the ACS is based on a small sample of the population of a place. Areas with smaller populations, such as the cities of Northern Virginia, may have a larger margin of error in the data due to the survey sample size being small. This is less of an issue the larger the population. The margin of error is shown in the popup that is displayed when hovering over a bar in the bar charts. If there is a large increase or decrease in the estimate from one time period to the next, and the margin of error is large and overlaps other periods, then the large change between time periods is likely due to statistical sampling error and is not considered statistically significant. In addition to the margin of error, the accuracy of the American Community Survey data for an area can be gaged by evaluating the trend. If the data has a clear trend then the data from one period to the next can be deemed reliable.
Educational Attainment - Current
Bachelor's or Higher Degrees - Current
Five-Year Estimates
All jurisdictions in the United States are included in the five-year American Community Survey estimates.
The percentage of residents age 25 or older with bachelor's or higher degrees, for all jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, are displayed in the following graph. Out of all 3,144 jurisdictions in the USA, six of the twenty highest ranked for the percentage of residents age 25 or older with bachelor's or higher degrees are located in Northern Virginia. Those include the City of Falls Church (1st), Arlington County (2nd), the City of Alexandria (4th), Fairfax County (7th), Loudoun County (8th), and Fairfax City (13th). Overall, Northern Virginia's share is 61.4% for residents age 25 or older with bachelor's or higher degrees, which is much higher than Virginia and nearly twice the USA.
Bachelor's or Higher Degrees - Current
One-Year Estimates
Those jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more are included in the one-year American Community Survey estimates, of which there are five Northern Virginia jurisdictions included.
The share of residents age 25 or older with bachelor's or higher degrees for the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia are shown in this graph. The Northern Virginia regional data, for the one-year estimates, is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only. Out of the 850 jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more in the USA, four of the top seven for the percentage of residents age 25 or older with bachelor's or higher degrees are located in Northern Virginia. Those include Arlington County (1st), the City of Alexandria (2nd), Fairfax (4th), and Loudoun (7th).
Graduate or Professional Degrees - Current
Five-Year Estimates
All jurisdictions in the United States are included in the five-year American Community Survey estimates. The percentage of residents age 25 or older with graduate or professional degrees, for all jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, are displayed in the following graph. Out of all 3,144 jurisdictions in the USA, six of the twenty highest ranked in the percentage of residents age 25 or older with graduate or higher degrees are located in Northern Virginia. Those include the City of Falls Church (1st), Arlington County (3rd), the City of Alexandria (5th), Fairfax County (11th), City of Fairfax (17th), and Loudoun County (19th). Overall, Northern Virginia's share is 29.8% for residents age 25 or older with graduate or professional degrees, which is much higher than Virginia and more than double the USA.
Graduate or Professional Degrees - Current
One-Year Estimates
Those jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more are included in the one-year American Community Survey estimates.
The percentage of residents age 25 or older with graduate or professional degrees for the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia are shown in this graph. The Northern Virginia regional data, for the one-year estimates, is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only. Out of the 850 jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more in the USA, four of the 25 highest ranked for the percentage of residents age 25 or older with graduate or professional degrees are located in Northern Virginia. Those include Arlington (1st), the City of Alexandria (3rd), Fairfax (9th), and Loudoun (21st).
Educational Attainment - Historic Compared to Current
Bachelor's or Higher Degrees - Historic Compared to Current
Five-Year Estimates
Northern Virginia is one of the most educated places in the United States. Since 2000, the region's population has experienced an upward trend in the share of persons age 25 and older, becoming even more highly educated than it already was. Northern Virginia's age 25 and older population holding bachelor's or higher degrees in 2000 was 50.7% and in the 2019-2023 period was 61.4%, compared to the United States which was 24.4% and 35.0% respectively. The considerable growth of the highly educated contributes to a flourishing and robust business community in Northern Virginia.
Bachelor's or Higher Degrees - Historic Compared to Current
One-Year Estimates
The trend in persons age 25 and older holding a bachelor's or higher degree, for the regions large jurisdictions (population of 65,000 or more), are shown in the following graph. The Northern Virginia regional data, for the one-year estimates, is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only.
Graduate or Professional Degree - Historic Compared to Current
Five-Year Estimates
Northern Virginia's age 25 and older population holding professional and graduate degrees in 2000 was 22.1% and in the 2019-2023 period it was 29.8%, compared to the United States which was 8.9% and 13.7% respectively. The considerable growth of the highly educated contributes to a flourishing and robust business community in Northern Virginia.
Graduate or Professional Degree - Historic Compared to Current
One-Year Estimates
The trend in persons age 25 and older holding a graduate or professional degree, for the regions large jurisdictions (population of 65,000 or more), are shown in the following graph. The Northern Virginia regional data, for the one-year estimates, is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only.