A college degree does not guarantee you will avoid dementia. Several large studies link more years of schooling with lower dementia risk, and some link it with more years of healthy thinking.
What studies have found about degrees and dementia
Most of the research on this question is observational. It compares groups of people with different amounts of schooling and follows them over time. Here is what the main studies measured.
| Study | Who was studied | What it measured | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins summary of a JAMA Internal Medicine study | Survey data from more than 10,000 Americans aged 65 and older, 2000 to 2012 | Dementia prevalence over that period | The dementia rate fell by about 24 percent. The drop was associated with staying in school longer, as average years of education rose from about 12 to 13. |
| USC study led by Eileen Crimmins (2018) | Health and Retirement Study participants aged 65 and older: 10,374 in 2000 and 9,995 in 2010 | Years of life with good cognition | College graduates gained an average of 1.51 years (men) and 1.79 years (women) of good cognition between 2000 and 2010. The least-educated group gained 0.66 years (men) and 0.27 years (women). |
| Rush University Medical Center study (Neurology, 2019) | 2,899 older adults from two long-term studies, averaging 78 at the start, with 16.3 years of education on average, followed for about 8 years | Rate of decline in thinking and memory, and age when dementia started | Higher education was linked with higher thinking and memory scores at the start. It was not linked with slower decline or later onset of dementia. |
| University of Texas at Austin-led study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia | High School and Beyond cohort: more than 27,000 Americans who were high school sophomores or seniors in 1980 | Cognitive functioning in midlife | Degree attainment predicts midlife cognitive functioning. Much of that link is accounted for by high school academic performance. |
Why a degree is not a guarantee
The Rush study is the one to know. It found that education did not slow thinking and memory decline, and it did not change when dementia began. The group was highly educated, so Rush notes the results may differ for people with less schooling.
The University of Texas at Austin team found that the high school experience accounts for much of the link. Your grades, test scores and course completion matter alongside the diploma.
Even when dementia rates fall, the number of people living with it can still rise. Johns Hopkins’ Esther Oh notes that as the population ages and people live longer, the total number of people with dementia is likely to grow.
As of October 2026, the National Institute on Aging says that NIA’s page on memory problems and aging states that forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging, but dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Why education may be linked to lower risk
The main idea is cognitive reserve. Johns Hopkins describes it as the brain’s ability to cope with damage that would otherwise lead to dementia. Oh says education could improve cognitive reserve. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s article on higher learning and dementia adds that research suggests education helps the brain develop more synapses, though Oh says scientists are not entirely sure of this.
People with more schooling may also make different health choices. Johns Hopkins notes they may be more aware that smoking, lack of exercise and poor eating harm health.
Schooling early in life matters. A Duke School of Nursing study on later-life learning says low education in early life is a major risk factor for dementia, accounting for 7%–20% of risk. The same Duke study found that people who took courses or training programs later in life showed better cognitive function over time than those who never took part.
A 2021 long-term study from the University of Tasmania followed cognitively healthy people over 50 who chose to study at university. It found that later-life education may preserve cognitive function, especially for communication, social interaction and maintaining independence. The authors note the study was not randomized, so it cannot fully separate education from other differences between people.
What is still not known
Several questions remain open. Johns Hopkins’ Oh says the link between education and lower dementia rates ‘appears to be related to improved education levels, more research is needed.’ Duke’s team says more research is needed to learn which types of learning work best.
NIA says that researchers ‘can’t say for certain whether making healthy lifestyle changes will protect against dementia.’ As of October 2026, NIA’s NIA page on preventing Alzheimer’s also says nothing has been proven yet to prevent Alzheimer’s.
If you do not have a degree
The studies above are about schooling, and you cannot change your past years of education. NIA lists staying engaged in meaningful activities as a way to support cognitive health. It notes that learning quilting or digital photography was linked with more memory improvement than socializing alone in one study. NIA also says there is not enough evidence that commercially available brain-training apps have the same impact as the ACTIVE study’s training. A broader view of daily habits is in our whole-person health goals guide.
Checklist: what to track, bring and ask
Track
- Memory changes: what you forget, how often, and how long it has lasted.
- Sleep, mood and stress. NIA says memory problems from stress or negative emotions are usually temporary, and that persistent problems warrant a doctor visit. Our breathing practice claims guide covers stress skills and when to seek care.
Bring
- A written list of memory changes and when each started.
- A full list of your medicines. NIA says some medicines can affect memory, sleep and brain function.
Ask
- Is this normal forgetfulness or something more serious?
- If you have memory problems, when should I come back? NIA suggests a memory check every six to 12 months.
- Before changing any prescribed medicine, talk with your provider first. NIA advises not stopping prescribed medications without consulting your health care provider.
By the Integrative Health Evidence Guide Team