Educational Attainment

Current Population Survey Data on Educational Attainment

Educational attainment data in the Current Population Survey are reported annually from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC, formerly the March Supplement). These data provide national estimates of educational attainment from 1947 to present, with limited detail for states and some metropolitan areas.

DATA TABLES, PRODUCTS AND REPORTS

CPS 2011

• Detailed Tables

CPS 2010

• Detailed Tables
• Educational Attainment in the US (live UStream event on YouTube)

CPS 2009

• Report - Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009 [PDF – 1.4M]
• Detailed Tables

CPS 2008

• Detailed Tables

CPS 2007

• Report - Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 (P20-560 - from CPS 2008 and ACS 2007) [PDF - 806k]


• Appendix B. Median Earnings by Educational Attainment and Sex for Full-Time, Year-Round Workers Aged 25 and Over: 1987-2007 [XLS - 22k]


• Detailed Tables


• User Note About the Redesign of the 2007 Table Package


• Impact of Revised Data Collection Procedures on Estimates of Educational Attainment from the 2007 CPS

CPS 2006

• Detailed Tables

CPS 2005

• Detailed Tables

CPS 2004

• Detailed Tables

CPS 2003

• Report - Educational Attainment in the United States: 2003 (P20-550) [PDF - 86k]
• Detailed Tables

CPS 2002

• Sample Expansion and Introduction of Census 2000-Based Population Controls
• Detailed Tables (PPL-169)
• Methodology and Documentation
• Source and Accuracy [PDF – 227k]
• Table 5 [PDF – 100k]

CPS 2001

• Detailed Tables (PPL-157)
• Methodology and Documentation
• Source and Accuracy [PDF – 227k]
• Table 5 [PDF – 100k]

CPS 2000 through 1998

• Report: The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings (P23-210) [PDF – 101k]

CPS March 2000

• Report (P20-536) [PDF – 56k]
• Detailed Tables (PPL-169)
• Methodology and Documentation
• Source and Accuracy [PDF – 227k]

Previous Educational Attainment Tables and Reports (1940-1999)

Get educational attainment reports and tables from previous years »

Historical Time Series Tables

Get historical educational attainment time series tables »

OTHER TECHNICAL AND ANALYTICAL REPORTS

Comparison of ACS and ASEC Data on Educational Attainment: 2004

• Report & Tables [PDF – 83k]

Educational Attainment Fact Sheet

The educational attainment fact sheet highlights the differences between the educational attainment estimates from the American Community Survey and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.

CPS Definitions and Explanations

CPS definitions and explanations are available from the Current Population Survey Web site.

RELATED PAPERS AND PRESENTATION

• Measurement of High School Equivalency Credentials in Census Bureau Surveys Sarah R. Crissey and Kurt J. Bauman, SEHSD Working Paper Number 2012-3, February 2012. [PDF - 594k]
• The Great Equalizer: Does Education Pay Off for Members of Minority Groups? Eric C. Newburger and Jennifer Cheeseman Day. Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Population Association of America, Atlanta, Georgia, May 10, 2002 [DOC – 1.1M]
• Have We Reached the Top? Educational Attainment Projections of the U.S. Population Jennifer Cheeseman Day and Kurt Bauman, Population Division Working Paper No. 43, 2000. [PDF – 753k]