In 2021, the District of Columbia had the most highly educated population in the United States, with **** percent of the population over the age of 25 having an advanced degree. Massachusetts had the next most educated population, with **** percent of residents having an advanced degree. For the United States as a whole, this figure stood at **** percent of the population.

An advanced degree includes graduate and professional degrees.

In the academic year of 2022, it is expected that 551,460 female and 331,530 male students will earn a Master’s degree in the United States. These figures are a significant increase from the academic year of 1950, when 16,980 female students and 41,220 male students earned a Master’s degree.

What is a Master’s degree?

A Master’s degree is an academic degree granted by universities after finishing a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degrees focus in on a specific field and are more specialized than a Bachelor’s. A typical Master’s program is about two years long, with the final semester focusing on the thesis. Master’s degree programs are usually harder to get into than Bachelor’s degree programs, due to the rigor of the program. Because these programs are so competitive, those with a Master’s degree are typically paid more than those with a Bachelor’s degree.

Master’s degrees in the United States

The number of master’s degrees granted in the United States has steadily increased since the 1970s and is expected to continue to increase. In 2021, the Master’s degree program with the worst job prospects in the United States by mid-career median pay was counseling, while the program with the best job prospects was a physician's assistant.

Overall educational attainment measures the highest level of education attained by a given individual: for example, an individual counted in the percentage of the measured population with a master’s or professional degree can be assumed to also have a bachelor’s degree and a high school diploma, but they are not counted in the population percentages for those two categories. Overall educational attainment is the broadest education indicator available, providing information about the measured county population as a whole.

Only members of the population aged 25 and older are included in these educational attainment estimates, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Champaign County has high educational attainment: over 48 percent of the county's population aged 25 or older has a bachelor's degree or graduate or professional degree as their highest level of education. In comparison, the percentage of the population aged 25 or older in the United States and Illinois with a bachelor's degree in 2023 was 21.8% (+/-0.1) and 22.8% (+/-0.2), respectively. The population aged 25 or older in the U.S. and Illinois with a graduate or professional degree in 2022, respectively, was 14.3% (+/-0.1) and 15.5% (+/-0.2).

Educational attainment data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (29 September 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (6 October 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (4 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (4 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018). U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1501; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

In an impressive increase from years past, 40.1 percent of women in the United States had completed four years or more of college in 2024. This figure is up from 3.8 percent of women in 1940. A significant increase can also be seen in males, with 37.1 percent of the U.S. male population having completed four years or more of college in 2024, 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.

In the academic year of 2020/21, about 202,334 Master's degrees were earned in business across the United States, making it the most common master's degree earned. In that same year, another 47,257 Master's degrees were earned in engineering.

This layer was developed by the Research & Analytics Group of the Atlanta Regional Commission, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2013-2017, to show levels of educational attainment by State of Georgia in the Atlanta region. The user should note that American Community Survey data represent estimates derived from a surveyed sample of the population, which creates some level of uncertainty, as opposed to an exact measure of the entire population (the full census count is only conducted once every 10 years and does not cover as many detailed characteristics of the population). Therefore, any measure reported by ACS should not be taken as an exact number – this is why a corresponding margin of error (MOE) is also given for ACS measures. The size of the MOE relative to its corresponding estimate value provides an indication of confidence in the accuracy of each estimate. Each MOE is expressed in the same units as its corresponding measure; for example, if the estimate value is expressed as a number, then its MOE will also be a number; if the estimate value is expressed as a percent, then its MOE will also be a percent. The user should also note that for relatively small geographic areas, such as census tracts shown here, ACS only releases combined 5-year estimates, meaning these estimates represent rolling averages of survey results that were collected over a 5-year span (in this case 2013-2017). Therefore, these data do not represent any one specific point in time or even one specific year. For geographic areas with larger populations, 3-year and 1-year estimates are also available. For further explanation of ACS estimates and margin of error, visit Census ACS website. Naming conventions: Prefixes:NoneCountpPercentrRatemMedianaMean (average)tAggregate (total)chChange in absolute terms (value in t2 - value in t1)pchPercent change ((value in t2 - value in t1) / value in t1)chpChange in percent (percent in t2 - percent in t1)Suffixes:NoneChange over two periods_eEstimate from most recent ACS_mMargin of Error from most recent ACS_00Decennial 2000 Attributes: SumLevelSummary level of geographic unit (e.g., County, Tract, NSA, NPU, DSNI, SuperDistrict, etc)GEOIDCensus tract Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code NAMEName of geographic unitPlanning_RegionPlanning region designation for ARC purposesAcresTotal area within the tract (in acres)SqMiTotal area within the tract (in square miles)CountyCounty identifier (combination of Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) codes for state and county)CountyNameCounty NamePop25P_e# Population 25 years and over, 2017Pop25P_m# Population 25 years and over, 2017 (MOE)NoHS_e# Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017NoHS_m# Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017 (MOE)pNoHS_e% Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017pNoHS_m% Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017 (MOE)SomeHS_e# Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017SomeHS_m# Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017 (MOE)pSomeHS_e% Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017pSomeHS_m% Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017 (MOE)HSGrad_e# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017HSGrad_m# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017 (MOE)pHSGrad_e% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017pHSGrad_m% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017 (MOE)SomeColl_e# Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017SomeColl_m# Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017 (MOE)pSomeColl_e% Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017pSomeColl_m% Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017 (MOE)Associates_e# Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017Associates_m# Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017 (MOE)pAssociates_e% Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017pAssociates_m% Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017 (MOE)BA_e# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017BA_m# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017 (MOE)pBA_e% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017pBA_m% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017 (MOE)GradProf_e# Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017GradProf_m# Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017 (MOE)pGradProf_e% Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017pGradProf_m% Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017 (MOE)LtHS_e# Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017LtHS_m# Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017 (MOE)pLtHS_e% Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017pLtHS_m% Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017 (MOE)HSPlus_e# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017HSPlus_m# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017 (MOE)pHSPlus_e% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017pHSPlus_m% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017 (MOE)BAPlus_e# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017BAPlus_m# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017 (MOE)pBAPlus_e% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017pBAPlus_m% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017 (MOE)last_edited_dateLast date the feature was edited by ARC Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Atlanta Regional CommissionDate: 2013-2017 For additional information, please visit the Census ACS website.

About 3,785 master's degrees were earned in the United States by American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the academic year of 2020/2021. Additionally, 460,320 master's degrees were earned by white students, and 98,246 were earned by Black students.

United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Male: % of Male Working-age Population data was reported at 73.250 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 73.560 % for 2016. United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Male: % of Male Working-age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 77.826 % from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2017, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.128 % in 1994 and a record low of 73.250 % in 2017. United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Male: % of Male Working-age Population 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: Labour Force. The percentage of the working age population with an advanced level of education who are in the labor force. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population data was reported at 77.809 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 78.336 % for 2016. United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 82.936 % from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2017, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.467 % in 1994 and a record low of 77.809 % in 2017. United States US: Labour Force With Advanced Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population 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: Labour Force. The percentage of the working age population with an advanced level of education who are in the labor force. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

This statistic shows the percentage of the White, non-Hispanic population aged between 25 and 29 with a bachelor's or a higher level degree in the United States from 1975 to 2021, by gender. In 2021, about ** percent of white, non-Hispanic females had attained at least a bachelor's degree in the United States.

In 2022, 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.

This layer was developed by the Research & Analytics Group of the Atlanta Regional Commission, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2013-2017, to show levels of educational attainment by Westside Future Fund in the Atlanta region. The user should note that American Community Survey data represent estimates derived from a surveyed sample of the population, which creates some level of uncertainty, as opposed to an exact measure of the entire population (the full census count is only conducted once every 10 years and does not cover as many detailed characteristics of the population). Therefore, any measure reported by ACS should not be taken as an exact number – this is why a corresponding margin of error (MOE) is also given for ACS measures. The size of the MOE relative to its corresponding estimate value provides an indication of confidence in the accuracy of each estimate. Each MOE is expressed in the same units as its corresponding measure; for example, if the estimate value is expressed as a number, then its MOE will also be a number; if the estimate value is expressed as a percent, then its MOE will also be a percent. The user should also note that for relatively small geographic areas, such as census tracts shown here, ACS only releases combined 5-year estimates, meaning these estimates represent rolling averages of survey results that were collected over a 5-year span (in this case 2013-2017). Therefore, these data do not represent any one specific point in time or even one specific year. For geographic areas with larger populations, 3-year and 1-year estimates are also available. For further explanation of ACS estimates and margin of error, visit Census ACS website. Naming conventions: Prefixes:NoneCountpPercentrRatemMedianaMean (average)tAggregate (total)chChange in absolute terms (value in t2 - value in t1)pchPercent change ((value in t2 - value in t1) / value in t1)chpChange in percent (percent in t2 - percent in t1)Suffixes:NoneChange over two periods_eEstimate from most recent ACS_mMargin of Error from most recent ACS_00Decennial 2000 Attributes: SumLevelSummary level of geographic unit (e.g., County, Tract, NSA, NPU, DSNI, SuperDistrict, etc)GEOIDCensus tract Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code NAMEName of geographic unitPlanning_RegionPlanning region designation for ARC purposesAcresTotal area within the tract (in acres)SqMiTotal area within the tract (in square miles)CountyCounty identifier (combination of Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) codes for state and county)CountyNameCounty NamePop25P_e# Population 25 years and over, 2017Pop25P_m# Population 25 years and over, 2017 (MOE)NoHS_e# Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017NoHS_m# Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017 (MOE)pNoHS_e% Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017pNoHS_m% Population 25 years and over, less than 9th grade education, 2017 (MOE)SomeHS_e# Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017SomeHS_m# Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017 (MOE)pSomeHS_e% Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017pSomeHS_m% Population 25 years and over, 9th-12th grade, no diploma, 2017 (MOE)HSGrad_e# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017HSGrad_m# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017 (MOE)pHSGrad_e% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017pHSGrad_m% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate (includes GED), 2017 (MOE)SomeColl_e# Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017SomeColl_m# Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017 (MOE)pSomeColl_e% Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017pSomeColl_m% Population 25 years and over, some college, no degree, 2017 (MOE)Associates_e# Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017Associates_m# Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017 (MOE)pAssociates_e% Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017pAssociates_m% Population 25 years and over, associate's degree, 2017 (MOE)BA_e# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017BA_m# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017 (MOE)pBA_e% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017pBA_m% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree, 2017 (MOE)GradProf_e# Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017GradProf_m# Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017 (MOE)pGradProf_e% Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017pGradProf_m% Population 25 years and over, graduate or professional degree, 2017 (MOE)LtHS_e# Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017LtHS_m# Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017 (MOE)pLtHS_e% Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017pLtHS_m% Population 25 years and over, Less than high school graduate, 2017 (MOE)HSPlus_e# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017HSPlus_m# Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017 (MOE)pHSPlus_e% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017pHSPlus_m% Population 25 years and over, high school graduate or higher, 2017 (MOE)BAPlus_e# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017BAPlus_m# Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017 (MOE)pBAPlus_e% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017pBAPlus_m% Population 25 years and over, bachelor's degree or higher, 2017 (MOE)last_edited_dateLast date the feature was edited by ARC Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Atlanta Regional CommissionDate: 2013-2017 For additional information, please visit the Census ACS website.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties..Supporting documentation on code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Technical Documentation section.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..The category "Not enrolled in college or graduate school" includes those who were not enrolled in school as well as those who were enrolled in levels other than college or graduate school..The 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the March 2020 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. In certain instances, the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB delineation lists due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on Census 2010 data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:- The estimate could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations. For a ratio of medians estimate, one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution. For a 5-year median estimate, the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.N The estimate or margin of error cannot be displayed because there were an insufficient number of sample cases in the selected geographic area. (X) The estimate or margin of error is not applicable or not available.median- The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "2,500-")median+ The median falls in the highest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "250,000+").** The margin of error could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations.*** The margin of error could not be computed because the median falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.***** A margin of error is not appropriate because the corresponding estimate is controlled to an independent population or housing estimate. Effectively, the corresponding estimate has no sampling error and the margin of error may be treated as zero.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties..Supporting documentation on code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Technical Documentation section.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..The category "Not enrolled in college or graduate school" includes those who were not enrolled in school as well as those who were enrolled in levels other than college or graduate school..The 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the September 2018 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. In certain instances, the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB delineation lists due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on Census 2010 data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:An "**" entry in the margin of error column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute a standard error and thus the margin of error. A statistical test is not appropriate.An "-" entry in the estimate column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution, or the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.An "-" following a median estimate means the median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution.An "+" following a median estimate means the median falls in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution.An "***" entry in the margin of error column indicates that the median falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.An "*****" entry in the margin of error column indicates that the estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate. An "N" entry in the estimate and margin of error columns indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.An "(X)" means that the estimate is not applicable or not available.

In the academic year of 2021/22, about 880,250 students were awarded a Master's degree in the United States. This figure is projected to increase by the academic year of 2031/32, when it is forecasted that 1,000,460 students will be awarded a Master's degree.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, for 2020, the 2020 Census provides the official counts of the population and housing units for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns. For 2016 to 2019, the Population Estimates Program provides estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and intercensal housing unit estimates for the nation, states, and counties..Supporting documentation on code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Technical Documentation section.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..The category "Not enrolled in college or graduate school" includes those who were not enrolled in school as well as those who were enrolled in levels other than college or graduate school..The 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the September 2018 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. In certain instances, the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB delineation lists due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on Census 2010 data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:- The estimate could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations. For a ratio of medians estimate, one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.N The estimate or margin of error cannot be displayed because there were an insufficient number of sample cases in the selected geographic area. (X) The estimate or margin of error is not applicable or not available.median- The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "2,500-")median+ The median falls in the highest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "250,000+").** The margin of error could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations.*** The margin of error could not be computed because the median falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.***** A margin of error is not appropriate because the corresponding estimate is controlled to an independent population or housing estimate. Effectively, the corresponding estimate has no sampling error and the margin of error may be treated as zero.

In 2022, Canada had the highest share of adults with a university degree, at over 60 percent of those between the ages of 25 and 64. India had the smallest share of people with a university degree, at 13 percent of the adult population. University around the world Deciding which university to attend can be a difficult decision for some and in today’s world, people are not left wanting for choice. There are thousands of universities around the world, with the highest number found in India and Indonesia. When picking which school to attend, some look to university rankings, where Harvard University in the United States consistently comes in on top. Moving on up One of the major perks of attending university is that it enables people to move up in the world. Getting a good education is generally seen as a giant step along the path to success and opens up doors for future employment. Future earnings potential can be determined by which university one attends, whether by the prestige of the university or the connections that have been made there. For instance, graduates from the Stanford Graduate School of Business can expect to earn around 250,000 U.S. dollars annually.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties..Supporting documentation on code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Technical Documentation section.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..The category "Not enrolled in college or graduate school" includes those who were not enrolled in school as well as those who were enrolled in levels other than college or graduate school..The 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the September 2018 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. In certain instances the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB delineations due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on Census 2010 data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:An "**" entry in the margin of error column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute a standard error and thus the margin of error. A statistical test is not appropriate.An "-" entry in the estimate column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution, or the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.An "-" following a median estimate means the median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution.An "+" following a median estimate means the median falls in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution.An "***" entry in the margin of error column indicates that the median falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.An "*****" entry in the margin of error column indicates that the estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate. An "N" entry in the estimate and margin of error columns indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.An "(X)" means that the estimate is not applicable or not available.

This statistic shows the percentage of the Black, non-Hispanic population aged between 25 and 29 years with a bachelor's degree or a higher level degree in the United States from 1975 to 2021, by gender. In 2021, about ** percent of Black, non-Hispanic females had attained at least a bachelor's degree in the United States.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, the decennial census is the official source of population totals for April 1st of each decennial year. In between censuses, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties..Information about the American Community Survey (ACS) can be found on the ACS website. Supporting documentation including code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing, and a full list of ACS tables and table shells (without estimates) can be found on the Technical Documentation section of the ACS website.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..The category "Not enrolled in college or graduate school" includes those who were not enrolled in school as well as those who were enrolled in levels other than college or graduate school..The 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the March 2020 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. In certain instances, the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB delineation lists due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on 2020 Census data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:- The estimate could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations. For a ratio of medians estimate, one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution. For a 5-year median estimate, the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.N The estimate or margin of error cannot be displayed because there were an insufficient number of sample cases in the selected geographic area. (X) The estimate or margin of error is not applicable or not available.median- The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "2,500-")median+ The median falls in the highest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "250,000+").** The margin of error could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations.*** The margin of error could not be computed because the median falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.***** A margin of error is not appropriate because the corresponding estimate is controlled to an independent population or housing estimate. Effectively, the corresponding estimate has no sampling error and the margin of error may be treated as zero.