In 2021, education expenditure was highest in the state of California at 159.81 billion U.S. dollars. Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania rounded out the top five states with the highest education expenditures in the United States in that year.

In 2023, there were 403 institutions of higher education in the state of California. Of these 403 institutions, 250 were four-year institutions and 153 were two-year institutions. California had the most higher education institutions of any state in that year.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Net Change in Total Assets and Liabilities by Highest Education: College Graduate: Master's, Professional, Doctoral Degree (CXUCHGASLILB1409M) from 2012 to 2021 about doctoral degree, change, professional, tertiary schooling, liabilities, education, Net, assets, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Education by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: High School Graduate (CXUEDUCATNLB1404M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, secondary schooling, secondary, expenditures, education, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Other Financial Information: Other Money Receipts by Highest Education: College Graduate: Total (CXUOTHRMONYLB1407M) from 2012 to 2021 about receipts, information, tertiary schooling, financial, education, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Unit Characteristics: Percent Never Attended School and Other by Highest Education: College Graduate: Total (CXU980320LB1407M) from 2012 to 2021 about schools, consumer unit, tertiary schooling, education, percent, and USA.

In 2021, there were 384 institutions of higher education in the state of California. Of these 384 institutions, 247 were four-year institutions and 137 were two- year institutions. California had the most higher education institutions of any state in that year.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Apparel, Boys, 2 to 15 by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Less Than High School Graduate (CXUBOYSLB1403M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, secondary schooling, secondary, males, apparel, expenditures, education, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Vehicle Purchases: Cars and Trucks, New by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Less Than High School Graduate (CXUNEWCARSLB1403M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, purchase, secondary schooling, trucks, secondary, vehicles, expenditures, education, new, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Unit Characteristics: Number of Children Under 18 by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Associate's Degree (CXU980050LB1406M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, consumer unit, associate degree, education, child, and USA.

In 2019, around 94.5 percent of the population in Vermont and Maine had high school graduation or higher as their highest form of education -- the most out of any state in the country. For the United States as a whole, 89.4 percent of the population were high school graduates or higher.

Self-rated health by state of health, level of education, gender, table content and year interval

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..Logical coverage edits applying a rules-based assignment of Medicaid, Medicare and military health coverage were added as of 2009 -- please see https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2010/demo/coverage_edits_final.html for more details. Select geographies of 2008 data comparable to the 2009 and later tables are available at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/acs/1-year-re-run-health-insurance.html. The health insurance coverage category names were modified in 2010. See https://www.census.gov/topics/health/health-insurance/about/glossary.html#par_textimage_18 for a list of the insurance type definitions..Beginning in 2017, selected variable categories were updated, including age-categories, income-to-poverty ratio (IPR) categories, and the age universe for certain employment and education variables. See user note entitled "Health Insurance Table Updates" for further details..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.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Apparel, Girls, 2 to 15 by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Less Than High School Graduate (CXUGIRLSLB1403M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, secondary schooling, secondary, females, apparel, expenditures, education, and USA.

Massachusetts students led the way in composite ACT scores in the United States in 2021, with an average composite score of 27.6 points out of 36. Nevada students had the lowest average composite score, with 17.8 points.

What is the ACT?

The American College Test, or ACT, is one of the leading college and university entrance exams in the United States. The ACT tests reading, grammar, science, and math, as well as an optional writing supplement. Each section of the test is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, whereby test takers earn one point for every correct answer, and do not lose any points for wrong answers. The final score for each test section is then averaged to find the composite score, which is also scored between 1 and 36.

College entrance exams

The other main college entrance exam in the U.S. is the Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT, which has a maximum score of 2400 (although the average score is about 1060). The SAT tests math, evidence-based reading and writing, and has an optional essay supplement as well. College entry exams like the SAT and ACT are used by universities to determine which applicants they accept, and more selective schools, such as the Ivy League, usually have higher requirements when looking at test scores.

As of May 2023, the University of Iowa was the leading higher education institute in the United States in terms of overall social media engagement across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. University of South Carolina, Columbia ranked in second place, followed by Texas Christian University and James Madison University, respectively.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Other Vehicle Purchases by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Total (CXUOTHVEHCLLB1402M) from 2012 to 2021 about no college, purchase, secondary schooling, secondary, vehicles, expenditures, education, and USA.

This statistic shows the share of adults in the United States who were using Twitter as of February 2021, sorted by educational background. During that period of time, 33 percent of respondents who had attained a college degree stated that they used the microblogging platform.

Graph and download economic data for Income Before Taxes: Self-Employment Income by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Less Than High School Graduate (CXUSFEMPINCLB1403M) from 2012 to 2021 about self-employed, no college, secondary schooling, secondary, tax, education, income, and USA.