In 2021, about 37.7 percent of the U.S. population who were aged 25 and above had graduated from college or another higher education institution, a slight decline from 37.9 the previous year. However, this is a significant increase from 1960, when only 7.7 percent of the U.S. population had graduated from college.

Demographics

Educational attainment varies by gender, location, race, and age throughout the United States. Asian-American and Pacific Islanders had the highest level of education, on average, while Massachusetts and the District of Colombia are areas home to the highest rates of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, education levels are correlated with wealth. While public education is free up until the 12th grade, the cost of university is out of reach for many Americans, making social mobility increasingly difficult.

Earnings

White Americans with a professional degree earned the most money on average, compared to other educational levels and races. However, regardless of educational attainment, males typically earned far more on average compared to females. Despite the decreasing wage gap over the years in the country, it remains an issue to this day. Not only is there a large wage gap between males and females, but there is also a large income gap linked to race as well.

In 2021, about 41 percent of the United States population aged 25 to 34 years had attained a bachelor's degree or higher. In comparison, only 33 percent of the U.S. population aged 65 years or older had a bachelor's degree.

United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 98.774 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.793 % for 2014. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 98.677 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.867 % in 2013 and a record low of 94.500 % in 1970. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

In an impressive increase from years past, 39 percent of women in the United States had completed four years or more of college in 2022. This figure is up from 3.8 percent of women in 1940. A significant increase can also be seen in males, with 36.2 percent of the U.S. male population having completed four years or more of college in 2022, up from 5.5 percent in 1940.

4- and 2-year colleges

In the United States, college students are able to choose between attending a 2-year postsecondary program and a 4-year postsecondary program. Generally, attending a 2-year program results in an Associate’s Degree, and 4-year programs result in a Bachelor’s Degree.

Many 2-year programs are designed so that attendees can transfer to a college or university offering a 4-year program upon completing their Associate’s. Completion of a 4-year program is the generally accepted standard for entry-level positions when looking for a job.

Earnings after college

Factors such as gender, degree achieved, and the level of postsecondary education can have an impact on employment and earnings later in life. Some Bachelor’s degrees continue to attract more male students than female, particularly in STEM fields, while liberal arts degrees such as education, languages and literatures, and communication tend to see higher female attendance.

All of these factors have an impact on earnings after college, and despite nearly the same rate of attendance within the American population between males and females, men with a Bachelor’s Degree continue to have higher weekly earnings on average than their female counterparts.

Our Demographics package in the USA offers data pertaining to the education of residents of the United States of America at Census Block Level. Each data variable is available as a sum, or as a percentage of the total population within each selected area.

What is included?

At the Census Block level, this dataset includes some of the following key features:

Highest Educational Attainment

• High-school Diploma
• College - No Degree
• GED
• Associates Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctorate Degree
• Professional School Degree

Schooling In Child Population

• No Schooling
• Nursery School
• Kindergarten
• Primary School

Bachelor's Degree Attained

• Arts/Humanities/Other
• Business
• Education
• Science/Engineering

• • Highest Educational Attainment: Marketers can use this data to tailor their campaigns based on the level of education achieved by their target audience. For instance, educational institutions may focus on promoting advanced degree programs to individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher, while brands offering products related to skill development might target those with a high-school diploma or college degree.
  • Schooling In Child Population: This data provides insights into the educational stages of the child population, allowing marketers to customize their strategies. For example, companies specializing in children's products can create targeted promotions for specific age groups, such as educational toys for those in nursery or kindergarten.
  • Bachelor's Degree Attained: Marketers can leverage this information to tailor campaigns based on the specific field of study for individuals with a bachelor's degree. For instance, businesses offering services aligned with certain disciplines, like technology or the arts, can refine their messaging to appeal to the interests and preferences associated with each academic field.

• This demographic data is typically available at the census block level. These blocks are smaller, more detailed units designed for statistical purposes, enabling a more precise analysis of population, housing, and demographic data. Census blocks may vary in size and shape but are generally more localized compared to ZIP codes.

  Still looking for demographic data at the postal code level? Contact sales.

• There are numerous other census data datasets available for the United States, covering a wide range of demographics. These include information on:

  • Commuting
  • Educational Attainment
  • Employment
  • Families
  • Finance
  • Housing

The American Community Survey Education Tabulation (ACS-ED) is a custom tabulation of the ACS produced for the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS-ED provides a rich collection of social, economic, demographic, and housing characteristics for school systems, school-age children, and the parents of school-age children. In addition to focusing on school-age children, the ACS-ED provides enrollment iterations for children enrolled in public school. The data profiles include percentages (along with associated margins of error) that allow for comparison of school district-level conditions across the U.S. For more information about the NCES ACS-ED collection, visit the NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program at: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Demographic/ACS

United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 11.995 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.765 % for 2014. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 11.765 % from Dec 2013 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.995 % in 2015 and a record low of 11.566 % in 2013. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Master's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

The American Community Survey (ACS) is designed to estimate the characteristic distribution of populations and estimated counts should only be used to calculate percentages. They do not represent the actual population counts or totals. Beginning in 2019, the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has measured educational attainment for the Roadmap Progress Report using one-year American Community Survey (ACS) data from the United States Census Bureau. These public microdata represents the most current data, but it is limited to areas with larger populations leading to some multi-county regions*. *The American Community Survey is not the official source of population counts. It is designed to show the characteristics of the nation's population and should not be used as actual population counts or housing totals for the nation, states or counties. The official population count — including population by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin — comes from the once-a-decade census, supplemented by annual population estimates (which do not typically contain educational attainment variables) from the following groups and surveys: -- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM): https://www.ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/population-demographics -- US Census Decennial Census: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html and Population Estimates Program: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html **In prior years, WSAC used both the five-year and three-year (now discontinued) data. While the 5-year estimates provide a larger sample, they are not recommended for year to year trends and also are released later than the one-year files. Detailed information about the ACS at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/guidance.html

This graph shows the educational attainment of the U.S. population from in 2018, according to ethnicity. Around 56.5 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have graduated from college or obtained a higher educational degree in 2018.

United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Upper Secondary: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data was reported at 88.037 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 87.724 % for 2014. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Upper Secondary: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 86.253 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 88.037 % in 2015 and a record low of 64.469 % in 1970. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Upper Secondary: Population 25+ Years: Male: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 16 to 17 years (CGADL1617) from May 2015 to Feb 2025 about 16 to 17 years, master's degree, tertiary schooling, civilian, education, labor force, labor, household survey, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Employment-Population Ratio - Some College or Associate Degree, 25 Yrs. & over (LNU02327689) from Jan 1992 to Feb 2025 about associate degree, employment-population ratio, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, employment, population, and USA.

U.S. Higher Education Market size was valued at USD 101165.92 USD Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 176174.98 USD Million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.18% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

U.S. Higher Education Market Drivers

The market drivers for the U.S. Higher Education Market can be influenced by various factors. These may include:

Demographics: Shifts in the population’s composition and size of the college-age population have an impact on the demand for higher education.

Economic Conditions: A person’s desire to pursue higher education and their capacity to pay for it are influenced by a number of economic factors, such as income levels, unemployment rates, and the general health of the economy.

Technological Innovations: These include online learning environments, virtual classrooms, and adaptive learning technologies, which have an impact on how higher education is delivered.

Government Funding and Policies: The higher education industry is greatly impacted by changes to government funding and policy, including financial aid programs and rules pertaining to student loans and accreditation.

Globalization: As more students from outside pursue higher education in the United States and American universities broaden their global reach, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for higher education.

job Market Trends: Higher education institutions’ program offerings and enrollment trends are influenced by the job market’s need for particular skills and credentials.

Competitive Landscape: Innovation and advancements in higher education offerings are fueled by competition among schools and universities, which includes rivalry for students, faculty, research funds, and rankings.

Social and Cultural Factors: The higher education market is shaped by shifting societal attitudes regarding education, cultural views of the value of higher education, and changing preferences for various educational experiences.

"Enrollment counts are based on the October 31 Audited Register for the 2017-18 to 2019-20 school years. To account for the delay in the start of the school year, enrollment counts are based on the November 13 Audited Register for 2020-21 and the November 12 Audited Register for 2021-22. * Please note that October 31 (and November 12-13) enrollment is not audited for charter schools or Pre-K Early Education Centers (NYCEECs). Charter schools are required to submit enrollment as of BEDS Day, the first Wednesday in October, to the New York State Department of Education." Enrollment counts in the Demographic Snapshot will likely exceed operational enrollment counts due to the fact that long-term absence (LTA) students are excluded for funding purposes. Data on students with disabilities, English Language Learners, students' povery status, and students' Economic Need Value are as of the June 30 for each school year except in 2021-22. Data on SWDs, ELLs, Poverty, and ENI in the 2021-22 school year are as of March 7, 2022. 3-K and Pre-K enrollment totals include students in both full-day and half-day programs. Four-year-old students enrolled in Family Childcare Centers are categorized as 3K students for the purposes of this report. All schools listed are as of the 2021-22 school year. Schools closed before 2021-22 are not included in the school level tab but are included in the data for citywide, borough, and district. Programs and Pre-K NYC Early Education Centers (NYCEECs) are not included on the school-level tab. Due to missing demographic information in rare cases at the time of the enrollment snapshot, demographic categories do not always add up to citywide totals. Students with disabilities are defined as any child receiving an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as of the end of the school year (or March 7 for 2021-22). NYC DOE "Poverty" counts are based on the number of students with families who have qualified for free or reduced price lunch, or are eligible for Human Resources Administration (HRA) benefits. In previous years, the poverty indicator also included students enrolled in a Universal Meal School (USM), where all students automatically qualified, with the exception of middle schools, D75 schools and Pre-K centers. In 2017-18, all students in NYC schools became eligible for free lunch. In order to better reflect free and reduced price lunch status, the poverty indicator does not include student USM status, and retroactively applies this rule to previous years. "The school’s Economic Need Index is the average of its students’ Economic Need Values. The Economic Need Index (ENI) estimates the percentage of students facing economic hardship. The 2014-15 school year is the first year we provide ENI estimates. The metric is calculated as follows: * The student’s Economic Need Value is 1.0 if: o The student is eligible for public assistance from the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA); o The student lived in temporary housing in the past four years; or o The student is in high school, has a home language other than English, and entered the NYC DOE for the first time within the last four years. * Otherwise, the student’s Economic Need Value is based on the percentage of families (with school-age children) in the student’s census tract whose income is below the poverty level, as estimated by the American Community Survey 5-Year estimate (2020 ACS estimates were used in calculations for 2021-22 ENI). The student’s Economic Need Value equals this percentage divided by 100. Due to differences in the timing of when student demographic, address and census data were pulled, ENI values may vary, slightly, from the ENI values reported in the School Quality Reports. In previous years, student census tract data was based on students’ addresses at the time of ENI calculation. Beginning in 2018-19, census tract data is based on students’ addresses as of the Audited Register date of the g

This map shows the percentage of people age 25+ whose highest education level is some college. This is shown by state, county, and census tracts throughout the US. Zoom to any city to see the pattern there, or use one of the bookmarks to explore different areas.Some college education means that the individual has some college credits, but no degree. For more information from the Census Bureau, click here.The pop-up is configured to show the overall breakdown of educational attainment for the population 25+. The data shown is current-year American Community Survey (ACS) data from the US Census Bureau. The data is updated each year when the ACS releases its new 5-year estimates. For more information about the data, visit this page.To learn more about when the ACS releases data updates, click here.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program develops annually updated school district boundary composite files that include public elementary, secondary, and unified school district boundaries clipped to the U.S. shoreline. School districts are special-purpose governments and administrative units designed by state and local officials to provide public education for local residents. District boundaries are collected for NCES by the U.S. Census Bureau to develop demographic estimates and to support educational research and program administration. The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) program is an annual collection of basic administrative characteristics for all public schools, school districts, and state education agencies in the United States. These characteristics are reported by state education officials and include directory information, number of students, number of teachers, grade span, and other conditions. The administrative attributes in this layer were developed from the 2020-2021 CCD collection. For more information about NCES school district boundaries, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/DistrictBoundaries. For more information about CCD school district attributes, see: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/files.asp.Notes: -1 or M Indicates that the data are missing. -2 or N Indicates that the data are not applicable. -9 Indicates that the data do not meet NCES data quality standards. All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 25 to 34 years, Women (CGADUW2534) from Dec 2014 to Feb 2025 about master's degree, 25 to 34 years, females, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

The National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program develops annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for public elementary and secondary schools included in the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). The CCD program annually collects administrative and fiscal data about all public schools, school districts, and state education agencies in the United States. The data are supplied by state education agency officials and include basic directory and contact information for schools and school districts, as well as characteristics about student demographics, number of teachers, school grade span, and various other administrative conditions. CCD school and agency point locations are derived from reported information about the physical location of schools and agency administrative offices. The point locations and administrative attributes in this data layer represent the most current CCD collection. For more information about NCES school point data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations. For more information about these CCD attributes, as well as additional attributes not included, see: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/files.asp.Notes:-1 or MIndicates that the data are missing.-2 or NIndicates that the data are not applicable.-9Indicates that the data do not meet NCES data quality standards.Collections are available for the following years:2022-232021-222020-212019-202018-192017-18All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data. Collections are available for the following years:

This survey collected information on participants in adult and continuing education activities throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Conducted by the Bureau of the Census as part of the CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY, May 1969 (ICPSR 7996), the adult education survey collected information on types of courses taken, types of institutions or agencies offering courses, reasons for taking the courses, and the respondent's age, sex, and race. These data are related to additional socioeconomic and demographic information collected at the same time in PARTICIPATION IN ADULT EDUCATION [UNITED STATES]: DEMOGRAPHICS FOR MAY 1969 AND MAY 1972 (IPCSR 2298).

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 years and over, Women (CGBDUW25O) from Jan 2000 to Feb 2025 about females, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, and USA.