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.

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.

There were approximately 18.58 million college students in the U.S. in 2022, with around 13.49 million enrolled in public colleges and a further 5.09 million students enrolled in private colleges. The figures are projected to remain relatively constant over the next few years.

What is the most expensive college in the U.S.? The overall number of higher education institutions in the U.S. totals around 4,000, and California is the state with the most. One important factor that students – and their parents – must consider before choosing a college is cost. With annual expenses totaling almost 78,000 U.S. dollars, Harvey Mudd College in California was the most expensive college for the 2021-2022 academic year. There are three major costs of college: tuition, room, and board. The difference in on-campus and off-campus accommodation costs is often negligible, but they can change greatly depending on the college town.

The differences between public and private colleges Public colleges, also called state colleges, are mostly funded by state governments. Private colleges, on the other hand, are not funded by the government but by private donors and endowments. Typically, private institutions are  much more expensive. Public colleges tend to offer different tuition fees for students based on whether they live in-state or out-of-state, while private colleges have the same tuition cost for every student.

College Completion Dataset

Graduation Rates, Race, Efficiency Measures and More

By Jonathan Ortiz [source]

About this dataset

This College Completion dataset provides an invaluable insight into the success and progress of college students in the United States. It contains graduation rates, race and other data to offer a comprehensive view of college completion in America. The data is sourced from two primary sources – the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)’ Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS) and Voluntary System of Accountability’s Student Success and Progress rate.

At four-year institutions, the graduation figures come from IPEDS for first-time, full-time degree seeking students at the undergraduate level, who entered college six years earlier at four-year institutions or three years earlier at two-year institutions. Furthermore, colleges report how many students completed their program within 100 percent and 150 percent of normal time which corresponds with graduation within four years or six year respectively. Students reported as being of two or more races are included in totals but not shown separately

When analyzing race and ethnicity data NCES have classified student demographics since 2009 into seven categories; White non-Hispanic; Black non Hispanic; American Indian/ Alaskan native ; Asian/ Pacific Islander ; Unknown race or ethnicity ; Non resident with two new categorize Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander combined with Asian plus students belonging to several races. Also worth noting is that different classifications for graduate data stemming from 2008 could be due to variations in time frame examined & groupings used by particular colleges – those who can’t be identified from National Student Clearinghouse records won’t be subjected to penalty by these locations .

When it comes down to efficiency measures parameters like “Awards per 100 Full Time Undergraduate Students which includes all undergraduate completions reported by a particular institution including associate degrees & certificates less than 4 year programme will assist us here while we also take into consideration measures like expenditure categories , Pell grant percentage , endowment values , average student aid amounts & full time faculty members contributing outstandingly towards instructional research / public service initiatives .

When trying to quantify outcomes back up Median Estimated SAT score metric helps us when it is derived either on 25th percentile basis / 75th percentile basis with all these factors further qualified by identifying required criteria meeting 90% threshold when incoming students are considered for relevance . Last but not least , Average Student Aid equalizes amount granted by institution dividing same over total sum received against what was allotted that particular year .

All this analysis gives an opportunity get a holistic overview about performance , potential deficits &

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How to use the dataset

This dataset contains data on student success, graduation rates, race and gender demographics, an efficiency measure to compare colleges across states and more. It is a great source of information to help you better understand college completion and student success in the United States.

In this guide we’ll explain how to use the data so that you can find out the best colleges for students with certain characteristics or focus on your target completion rate. We’ll also provide some useful tips for getting the most out of this dataset when seeking guidance on which institutions offer the highest graduation rates or have a good reputation for success in terms of completing programs within normal timeframes.

Before getting into specifics about interpreting this dataset, it is important that you understand that each row represents information about a particular institution – such as its state affiliation, level (two-year vs four-year), control (public vs private), name and website. Each column contains various demographic information such as rate of awarding degrees compared to other institutions in its sector; race/ethnicity Makeup; full-time faculty percentage; median SAT score among first-time students; awards/grants comparison versus national average/state average - all applicable depending on institution location — and more!

When using this dataset, our suggestion is that you begin by forming a hypothesis or research question concerning student completion at a given school based upon observable characteristics like financ...

Of those aged 20 to 21 years of age in the United States, 52.8 percent were enrolled in higher education as of 2020, a considerable increase when compared to 31.9 percent in 1970. For those aged 18 to 19, 49 percent were enrolled in higher education in 2020.

Participation rate in education, population aged 18 to 34, by age group and type of institution attended, Canada, provinces and territories. This table is included in Section E: Transitions and outcomes: Transitions to postsecondary education of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP). PCEIP draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, and labour market outcomes. The program presents indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, as well as selected international comparisons and comparisons over time. PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.

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).

This statistic shows the share of first year college students who enrolled in institutions that were in the state where they already lived in 2016. In the fall of 2016, 78.5 percent of all first year students across the United States enrolled in colleges that were situated in the state where they lived.

Metric scores are not reported for n-sizes under 10. Per OSSE's policy, secondary suppression is applied to all student groups when a complementary group has an n-size under 10 or is top/bottom suppressed to prevent the calculation of suppressed data.

Data Source: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Why This Matters

Graduating from high school is a critical step in advancing along educational and professional paths. Many careers and almost all colleges require a high school diploma or GED.

Educational attainment is strongly linked with socioeconomic and health outcomes. Americans who graduate high school tend to have higher incomes than those who do not. High school graduates also tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Black, Hispanic, and Native American students in the U.S. have lower graduation rates, on average, than white students. Segregation and historical disinvestment in communities of color play a significant role in these disparities. Poverty and limited educational resources act as barriers to graduation.

The District Response

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)’s Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements initiative aims to identify and implement new high school graduation requirements that incorporate outcome measures and support innovative approaches to preparing young people for life after graduation.

The District of Columbia Public Schools offers a number of supports to both proactively aid students in graduating and assist those at risk of not graduating.

Since 2014, those who pass the GED receive a State High School Diploma instead of a GED credential. This more accurately represents the dedication, hard work, and demonstration of skill it takes for residents to successfully complete this alternative path to a high school diploma.

Historical Dataset of Snow College is provided by CommunityCollegeReview and contain statistics on metrics:Total Faculty Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Total Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Student-Staff Ratio Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Full-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Part-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Full-Time Undergraduate Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),American Indian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Asian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2007-2023),Hawaiian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2011-2023),Hispanic Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Black Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2010-2023),White Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Two or More Races Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2011-2023),Non Resident Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2009-2021),Diversity Score Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Tuition Fees For an In-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Tuition Fees For an Out-Of-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Financial Aid Student Percentage Comparison Over the Years (2008-2023),Percentage Admitted Comparison Over the Years (2014-2023),ACT Composite Score Trends Over Years (2014-2023),Dormitory Capacity Trends Over Years (2007-2023),Completion Rates For First-Time of Full-Time Students Comparison Over Years (2007-2012),Completion Rates For First-Time of Full-Time Students At Four Year Institutions Comparison Over Years (2022-2024),Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) Trends Over Years (2008-2013),Median Debt For Students Who Have Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Median Debt For Students Who Have Not Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023)

UA: Over-Age Students: Primary: Female: % of Female Enrollment data was reported at 7.058 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.028 % for 2015. UA: Over-Age Students: Primary: Female: % of Female Enrollment data is updated yearly, averaging 8.766 % from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2016, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.713 % in 2005 and a record low of 7.028 % in 2015. UA: Over-Age Students: Primary: Female: % of Female Enrollment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ukraine – Table UA.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

Metric scores are not reported for n-sizes under 10. Per OSSE's policy, secondary suppression is applied to all student groups when a complementary group has an n-size under 10 or is top/bottom suppressed to prevent the calculation of suppressed data.

Data Source: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Why This Matters

A growing number of jobs require college degrees and people with college degrees tend to have higher incomes.

Although bachelor’s degree attainment has increased across all racial and ethnic groups, inequities persist and factors such as family income, parental education level, and neighborhood segregation continue to act as barriers to college enrollment.

Racial disparities in educational attainment perpetuate other racial inequities including in employment opportunities, wages earned, occupations held, and overall well-being.

The District Response

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)’s Division of Postsecondary and Career Education (PCE) helps residents transition into postsecondary programs. They offer career guidance, help students find and apply to grants, and assist residents in obtaining adult literacy proficiency and GED credentials.

The Office of College and Career Readiness (CCR) promotes college access for public school students by offering academically rigorous programs, providing funding for SAT and ACT college entrance exams, and promoting FAFSA and college application completion.

The Tuition Assistance Program Initiative for TANF (TAPIT) provides financial assistance for TANF customers to pursue postsecondary degrees of college certificate programs. This can lower the financial barrier low-income residents face in pursuing higher education.

Historical Dataset of Lane Community College is provided by CommunityCollegeReview and contain statistics on metrics:Total Faculty Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Total Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Student-Staff Ratio Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Full-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Part-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Full-Time Undergraduate Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),American Indian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Asian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Hawaiian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2018-2024),Hispanic Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2009-2021),Black Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),White Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Two or More Races Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2011-2023),Non Resident Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2024),Diversity Score Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Tuition Fees For an In-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Tuition Fees For an Out-Of-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Financial Aid Student Percentage Comparison Over the Years (2007-2023),Dormitory Capacity Trends Over Years (2012-2023),Completion Rates For First-Time of Full-Time Students Comparison Over Years (2008-2024),Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) Trends Over Years (2008-2013),Median Debt For Students Who Have Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Median Debt For Students Who Have Not Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023)

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 34 years (CGBD2534) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about 25 to 34 years, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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.

RS: Over-Age Students: Primary: Male: % of Male Enrollment data was reported at 0.905 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.988 % for 2015. RS: Over-Age Students: Primary: Male: % of Male Enrollment data is updated yearly, averaging 0.912 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.864 % in 2011 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2006. RS: Over-Age Students: Primary: Male: % of Male Enrollment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Serbia – Table RS.World Bank: Education Statistics. Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

PA: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data was reported at 8.938 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.443 % for 2014. PA: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data is updated yearly, averaging 14.091 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.271 % in 1970 and a record low of 8.399 % in 2006. PA: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Panama – Table PA.World Bank: Education Statistics. Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Some College, No Degree, 25 to 34 years, Men (SCND2534M) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about 25 to 34 years, males, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 14.810 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 13.125 % for 2013. Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 13.968 % from Dec 2013 (Median) to 2016, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.810 % in 2016 and a record low of 13.125 % in 2013. Thailand TH: Educational Attainment: At Least Bachelor'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 Thailand – Table TH.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

Historical Dataset of Northampton County Area Community College is provided by CommunityCollegeReview and contain statistics on metrics:Total Faculty Trends Over Years (2007-2023),Total Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Student-Staff Ratio Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Full-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Part-Time Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),Full-Time Undergraduate Students Enrollment Trends Over Years (2007-2024),American Indian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2018-2024),Asian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Hawaiian Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2018-2024),Hispanic Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2022),Black Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),White Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Two or More Races Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2012-2023),Non Resident Student Percentage Comparison Over Years (2009-2021),Diversity Score Comparison Over Years (2008-2023),Tuition Fees For an In-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Tuition Fees For an Out-Of-State Student Trends Over Years (2008-2024),Financial Aid Student Percentage Comparison Over the Years (2007-2023),Dormitory Capacity Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Completion Rates For First-Time of Full-Time Students Comparison Over Years (2008-2024),Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) Trends Over Years (2008-2013),Median Debt For Students Who Have Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023),Median Debt For Students Who Have Not Completed A Certificate Or Degree Trends Over Years (2008-2023)