Fast Facts: Educational attainment (27)

Educational attainment

Question:
What are the trends in the educational attainment of the United States population?

Response:

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education completed (reported here as high school completion or higher,¹ an associate’s or higher degree, a bachelor’s or higher degree, or a master’s or higher degree). Between 2000 and 2019, educational attainment rates among 25- to 29-year-olds increased at each attainment level. During this time, the percentage with high school completion or higher increased from 88 to 94 percent, the percentage with an associate’s or higher degree increased from 38 to 49 percent, the percentage with a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 29 to 39 percent, and the percentage with a master’s or higher degree increased from 5 to 9 percent.

Between 2000 and 2019, educational attainment rates increased for both female and male 25- to 29-year-olds across all attainment levels. During this period, attainment rates for this age group were generally higher for females than for males, and the difference between the attainment rates for females and males (also referred to in this Fast Fact as the gender gap) widened at all attainment levels except for the high school completion or higher level. For example, at the bachelor’s or higher degree level, the gender gap widened from 2 percentage points in 2000 to 6 percentage points in 2019. Similarly, at the master’s or higher degree level, the gender gap widened from 1 percentage point in 2000 to 3 percentage points in 2019. However, the gender gap at the high school completion or higher level in 2019 (2 percentage points) was not measurably different from the gap in 2000.

In 2019, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds with high school completion or higher was higher for those who were Asian (97 percent) and White (96 percent) than for those who were Black (91 percent) and Hispanic (86 percent). Between 2000 and 2019, the percentages with high school completion or higher increased for those who were White (from 94 to 96 percent), Black (from 87 to 91 percent), Hispanic (from 63 to 86 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (from 79 to 95 percent). In addition, the percentage of Pacific Islander 25- to 29-year-olds with high school completion or higher was higher in 2019 (97 percent) than in 2003 (82 percent), the first year for which separate data on individuals who were Pacific Islander, Asian, and of Two or more races were available. The percentages who were Asian (97 percent) and of Two or more races (95 percent) with high school completion or higher in 2019 were not measurably different from the corresponding percentages in 2003.

¹ High school completion includes those who graduated from high school with a diploma as well as those who completed high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). The Condition of Education 2020 (NCES 2020-144), Educational Attainment of Young Adults.

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