Jersey Shore's brainiest towns: College degrees rule in these 15 locations

Tamara Walker, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

When it comes to higher education, these 15 towns from Monmouth and Ocean counties rank at the top of their class for residents with college degrees.

Data from the 2022 American Community Survey suggests 75% of residents over the age of 25 have a college degree of any type, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The study revealed Spring Lake tops the Monmouth County list with 87.1% of residents having a college degree of any type. And 84.5% of residents are bachelor's degree holders.

Mantoloking tops the Ocean County list with more than 90% of residents having a college degree of any type, with 86% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

US Census data: Monmouth County

Avon-by-the-Sea

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 71.2%

  • Associate degree: 3.6%

  • College degree of any type: 75%

Monmouth Beach

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 68%

  • Associate degree: 7%

  • College degree of any type: 75.3%

Interlaken

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 70.1%

  • Associate degree: 5.9%

  • College degree of any type: 76%

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Sea Bright

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 66.5%

  • Associate degree: 10%

  • College degree of any type: 76.5%

Manasquan

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 69.5%

  • Associate degree: 8.1%

  • College degree of any type: 77.6%

Loch Arbour

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 74.7%

  • Associate degree: 6.7%

  • College degree of any type: 81.4%

Little Silver

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 77.7%

  • Associate degree: 4.3%

  • College degree of any type: 82%

Rumson

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 77.6%

  • Associate degree: 4.5%

  • College degree of any type: 82.1%

Fair Haven

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 79.1%

  • Associate degree: 3.2%

  • College degree of any type: 82.3%

Sea Girt

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 79.2%

  • Associate degree: 7.4%

  • College degree of any type: 86.6%

Spring Lake

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 84.5%

  • Associate degree: 2.6%

  • College degree of any type: 87.1%

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US Census data: Ocean County

Bay Head

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 69%

  • Associate degree: 5.9%

  • College degree of any type: 75%

Harvey Cedars

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 69.6%

  • Associate degree: 7.5%

  • College degree of any type: 77.1%

Barnegat Light

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 73.2%

  • Associate degree: 4.8%

  • College degree of any type: 78%

Mantoloking

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 86.1%

  • Associate degree: 5.3%

  • College degree of any type: 91.4%

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth & Ocean County: NJ towns with highest education levels