Useful Stats: Educational Attainment State Rankings, 2002-2005

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s recently released 2005 educational attainment figures, 27.7 percent of adults age 25 years and older had received a bachelor's degree or higher; this is up from 26.7 percent in 2002. Across the states, the District of Columbia had the highest percentage of people 25 years and older with at least a bachelor’s degree (47 percent), followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.

 

SSTI has prepared a table presenting the 2002 and 2005 educational attainment percentages and rankings for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. When comparing the 2002 and 2005 reports, Idaho showed the largest percent increase in college graduates (23.9 percent) as well as a significant gain in rank, moving up 20 positions to 26th in 2005. Other states rounding off the top five for rank increases over the four-year period are: North Carolina (nine positions), Oklahoma (eight positions), Alaska (seven positions) and Hawaii (seven positions).



Some states saw their ranks drop, even while their percentage of adults aged 25 years and older with a bachelor's degree or higher increased. Maine, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin all saw their percentages remain steady or increase, but their positions drop in 2005 from 2002.

 

SSTI’s table is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/112706t.htm



An earlier table SSTI prepared for 2000 and 2002 educational attainment is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/042503t.htm

 

The U.S. Census survey data are available at: http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html