| | Population 25 Years and Over, 2000 | Persons with High School Diploma or Higher, 2000 | Persons with College Degree or Higher, 2000 | Percent Completed High School, 2000 | Percent Completed College, 2000 | High School Completion, Percent of U.S. Average, 2000 | College Completion, Percent of U.S. Average, 2000 |
|
| United States | 182,211,639 | 146,496,014 | 44,462,605 | 80.4% | 24.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Appalachian Region | 15,802,239 | 12,140,835 | 2,783,320 | 76.8% | 17.6% | 95.6% | 72.2% |
| North Carolina | 5,282,994 | 4,128,270 | 1,186,713 | 78.1% | 22.5% | 97.2% | 92.1% |
| Appalachian North Carolina | 1,049,471 | 795,173 | 200,894 | 75.8% | 19.1% | 94.2% | 78.4% |
|
| County |
| Alexander | 22,729 | 15,606 | 2,113 | 68.7% | 9.3% | 85.4% | 38.1% |
| Alleghany | 7,829 | 5,326 | 914 | 68.0% | 11.7% | 84.6% | 47.8% |
| Ashe | 17,722 | 12,158 | 2,141 | 68.6% | 12.1% | 85.3% | 49.5% |
| Avery | 12,058 | 8,512 | 1,749 | 70.6% | 14.5% | 87.8% | 59.4% |
| Buncombe | 143,649 | 117,655 | 36,287 | 81.9% | 25.3% | 101.9% | 103.5% |
| Burke | 59,922 | 40,514 | 7,653 | 67.6% | 12.8% | 84.1% | 52.3% |
| Caldwell | 53,539 | 35,454 | 5,562 | 66.2% | 10.4% | 82.4% | 42.6% |
| Cherokee | 17,709 | 12,977 | 1,950 | 73.3% | 11.0% | 91.1% | 45.1% |
| Clay | 6,578 | 5,029 | 1,013 | 76.5% | 15.4% | 95.1% | 63.1% |
| Davie | 23,840 | 18,617 | 4,197 | 78.1% | 17.6% | 97.1% | 72.1% |
| Forsyth | 204,081 | 167,333 | 58,524 | 82.0% | 28.7% | 102.0% | 117.5% |
| Graham | 5,622 | 3,845 | 631 | 68.4% | 11.2% | 85.1% | 46.0% |
| Haywood | 39,552 | 30,713 | 6,320 | 77.7% | 16.0% | 96.6% | 65.5% |
| Henderson | 65,039 | 54,084 | 15,696 | 83.2% | 24.1% | 103.4% | 98.9% |
| Jackson | 20,881 | 16,452 | 5,326 | 78.8% | 25.5% | 98.0% | 104.5% |
| Macon | 21,908 | 16,934 | 3,543 | 77.3% | 16.2% | 96.1% | 66.3% |
| Madison | 13,409 | 9,295 | 2,160 | 69.3% | 16.1% | 86.2% | 66.0% |
| McDowell | 29,157 | 20,456 | 2,614 | 70.2% | 9.0% | 87.3% | 36.7% |
| Mitchell | 11,315 | 7,761 | 1,381 | 68.6% | 12.2% | 85.3% | 50.0% |
| Polk | 13,653 | 11,004 | 3,515 | 80.6% | 25.7% | 100.2% | 105.5% |
| Rutherford | 42,889 | 30,190 | 5,344 | 70.4% | 12.5% | 87.6% | 51.1% |
| Stokes | 30,598 | 22,390 | 2,846 | 73.2% | 9.3% | 91.0% | 38.1% |
| Surry | 49,018 | 32,857 | 5,904 | 67.0% | 12.0% | 83.4% | 49.4% |
| Swain | 8,739 | 6,162 | 1,213 | 70.5% | 13.9% | 87.7% | 56.9% |
| Transylvania | 20,973 | 17,300 | 4,975 | 82.5% | 23.7% | 102.6% | 97.2% |
| Watauga | 23,939 | 19,544 | 7,958 | 81.6% | 33.2% | 101.5% | 136.2% |
| Wilkes | 45,498 | 30,017 | 5,135 | 66.0% | 11.3% | 82.1% | 46.3% |
| Yadkin | 24,916 | 17,946 | 2,562 | 72.0% | 10.3% | 89.6% | 42.1% |
| Yancey | 12,709 | 9,042 | 1,668 | 71.1% | 13.1% | 88.5% | 53.8% |
