Useful Stats: Educational Attainment in the U.S.

An educated populace is a key ingredient for a state's success in competing in a knowledge-based economy. Workforce development, digital divide, and income inequalities are all tied to the educational attainment of a population or group within a population. Educational Attainment in the United States, a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, reveals several positive trends in this area:

• In March 1999, 83 percent of all adults over 25 years of age reported completing high school; 25 percent reported attaining at least bachelor’s degree. Both are the highest percentages recorded since the survey was first initiated in 1947.
• The attainment level for the total adult population in the U.S. will continue to rise as the younger age groups, which is more educated than the elderly, continues to mature and replace the older, less educated groups – so long as the attainment levels of the young adults remain constant or increase. 
• Educational attainment among certain racial and ethnic groups, while growing significantly during the past decade, remained at their 1998 peaks. The Hispanic population continues to report the lowest proportion of completed education among racial and ethnic groups.

The accompanying table presents the percentage of each state’s population that has earned a bachelor's degree or more. The complete report can be downloaded from the Census Bureau’s website at: http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/main/newsite