Discover the 6 Most Educated Places in Virginia

Education has been around since humans started to figure out that we needed to learn. From the Ancient Greeks to the Ancient Egyptians to the Renaissance to modern society, education is important for our world. Usually, education starts when you are a young child and ends when you are around 18. After that, you can choose to do a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree. Currently, however, about 35% of people 25 or older have bachelor’s degrees in the United States. The numbers go down drastically for graduate degrees — 13% of those aged 25 and above have master’s degrees and only 2% of the population have doctorate degrees.

When it comes to Virginia, what are the statistics? Let’s take a look at the six most educated places in Virginia. We will look at the counties that have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

6. Albemarle County

Perhaps the most famous landmark in Albemarle County is Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s historic home and grounds. There are also a number of private and public schools located within Albemarle County. When it comes to bachelor’s degrees or higher, there are a total of 44,000 people with those degrees in the county. That number goes down to 13,000 for those with master’s degrees and 4,000 for those with doctorate degrees.

5. Fairfax, VA

Fairfax is an independent city within Fairfax County. Its proximity to Washington DC means that many of the people who live in Fairfax, VA commute to Washington DC to work in upper-level careers. Thus, most people in Fairfax have bachelor’s degrees or higher — 41.2% to be exact. Although no universities are within the city limits, there are a number of colleges and universities in Fairfax County. The Fairfax City Public Schools operates in the city.

4. Fairfax County

Because of its proximity to Washington DC, most people who live in Fairfax County commute to Washington DC and thus need to have professional degrees to work in upper-level careers in our nation’s capital. Coming in at number one when it comes to bachelor’s degrees, there are 497,000 people with those degrees or higher. That cipher lowers to 184,000 for those with master’s degrees and 27,000 for those with doctorates. Among the universities in Fairfax County, they include George Mason University and the Central Intelligence Agency University. 

3. Alexandria, VA

Alexandria is a historic city that has a historical center, thus history is of the utmost importance. With its proximity to Washington DC, most of the people that live in Alexandria commute to work in our nation’s capital. Thus, many need to have professional degrees to work there. Approximately 50% of residents in Alexandria, VA have bachelor’s degrees or higher. There are a few universities located in Alexandria including Virginia Tech’s Architecture Center, a branch of Virginia Commonwealth University, and a satellite campus of George Washington University.

2. Falls Church, VA

Because of its proximity to Washington DC, most of the people who live in Falls Church have to have professional degrees, meaning bachelor’s degrees are higher. Approximately 53% of those living in Falls Church have professional degrees. Although there are no universities in Falls Church, there are a number of private schools along with public schools that are served by Falls Church City Public Schools.

1. Arlington County

There are approximately 132,000 people with a bachelor’s degree, which amounts to nearly half of the county. This is because most people living in Arlington County need to have professional degrees. After all, many of them work in Washington DC. The number of those with master’s degrees and doctorate degrees goes down to 48,000 and 8,000, respectively. There are several universities located in Arlington County including Marymount University, a satellite campus for George Mason University, a research center for Virginia Tech, and other universities.

Summary of the 6 Most Educated Places in Virginia