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 2021, the District of Columbia had the most highly educated population in the United States, with **** percent of residents over the age of 25 having a Bachelor's degree or higher. Massachusetts followed closely behind, with **** percent of residents having completed a Bachelor's degree or higher. For the United States as a whole, this figure stood at **** percent of the population.

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.

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.

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

United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross data was reported at 97.698 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 96.379 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 94.920 % from Dec 1972 (Median) to 2015, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.104 % in 1998 and a record low of 60.766 % in 1972. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross 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. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

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.

This statistic shows the breakdown of educational attainment among different Hispanic population groups aged 25 and older and living in the United States in 2013. In 2013, 31 percent of people of Peruvian origin, that were living in the United States had a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

As of September 2023, ****** was the platform in the United States that most attracted social media users with bachelor's degrees and master's degrees. Overall, ** percent of TikTok users had a high school degree, as did ** percent of Snapchat users. Image-based ********* was the platform most used by respondents with technical and vocational education.

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).

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.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate: College Graduates: Advanced Degree: Master's Degree and Higher, 25 years and over (CGAD25O) from Dec 2014 to May 2025 about master's degree, 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This web map shows the predominant education level attained by the US population aged 25 or over. This is shown by Census Tract and County centroids. This data is from the 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates in the S1501 Table for Educational Attainment by age and gender. The popup in the map provides a breakdown of the highest level of education attained by the population in an area.The color of the symbols represent the most common level of education. This predominance map style compares the count of people based on their highest level of education, and returns the value with the highest count. The census breaks down the 25+ population by the following education levels:Less than 9th grade9th to 12th grade [no diploma]High school graduate [includes equivalency]Some College [no degree]Associates degreeBachelor's degreeGraduate or professional degreeThe size of the symbols represents how many people are 25 years or older, which helps highlight the quantity of people that live within an area. The strength of the color represents HOW predominant an education level is within an area. If the symbol is a strong color, it makes up a larger portion of the population. This map helps to show the most common level of education at a local and regional level. The tract pattern shows how distinct neighborhoods are clustered by their level of education. The county pattern shows an rural/urban difference in education. This pattern is shown by census tracts at large scales, and counties at smaller scales.This data was downloaded from the United States Census Bureau American Fact Finder on January 10, 2018. It was then joined with 2016 vintage centroid points and hosted to ArcGIS Online and the Living Atlas as hosted feature layers. Census Tract Centroid Layer with educational attainment attributesCounties Layer with educational attainment attributesNationally, the breakdown of education for the population 25+ is as follows:

Total Estimate Margin of Error Percent Estimate Margin of Error

Population 25 years and over 213,649,147 +/-15,761 (X) (X)

Less than 9th grade 11,913,913 +/-60,796 5.60% +/-0.1

9th to 12th grade, no diploma 15,904,467 +/-70,156 7.40% +/-0.1

High school graduate (includes equivalency) 58,820,411 +/-182,369 27.50% +/-0.1

Some college, no degree 44,772,845 +/-41,794 21.00% +/-0.1

Associate's degree 17,469,724 +/-41,879 8.20% +/-0.1

Bachelor's degree 40,189,920 +/-142,140 18.80% +/-0.1

Graduate or professional degree 24,577,867 +/-151,189 11.50% +/-0.1

Community colleges in the US are undergoing a significant transformation, shaped by shifting student demand, economic pressures and volatile public policy in the wake of COVID. Between 2020 and 2025, community colleges have transitioned from pandemic emergency response to a phase of strategic recovery and adaptation. Following a dramatic enrollment decline during COVID-19, when students paused their education because of public health concerns, economic instability and the rapid transition to online learning, the industry is now experiencing a significant rebound. In spring 2025, two-year colleges saw a 5.4% surge in attendance, the strongest growth among all undergraduate settings. Several factors drove this growth: inflation and rising living costs made community colleges’ lower tuition more attractive, while skepticism about the value of a four-year degree prompted more students to seek affordable, flexible programs that quickly build in-demand skills. Despite rising enrollment, revenue has increased at a CAGR of 0.9%, reaching an estimated $75.2 billion in 2025, because most new students pay low tuition, state funding growth remains modest and operating challenges strain resources. As a result, colleges benefit from stronger demand without a corresponding boost in revenue or profit. Community colleges' policy and regulatory landscape is evolving rapidly at the federal and state levels. Recent federal actions, including the Trump administration’s elimination of race-based admissions practices and equity action plans, signal a move from earlier diversity and accountability requirements tied to federal funding. Persistent FAFSA processing delays and confusing changes have disrupted access to financial aid and uncertainty around Pell Grant structure and funding complicates efforts to support low-income students. State policy directions vary widely: while states like Ohio are imposing new restrictions on DEI initiatives and faculty rights, and New Jersey is contemplating a $20.0 billion funding cut, others like Illinois are expanding community colleges’ authority to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields. While ongoing policy reforms, demographic shifts and affordability concerns will continue to shape the industry, community colleges are poised to play a crucial role in broadening access to higher education and supporting targeted workforce growth. Colleges face strong tailwinds from increased demand for affordable, career-focused programs, growing interest in upskilling and new private-sector partnerships. However, uncertain funding, regulatory volatility and persistent financial aid challenges remain significant headwinds. Converting higher enrollment into stronger financial health will require stable resources, policy agility and ongoing innovation to serve a diverse student population. Overall, revenue is forecast to rise slowly at CAGR of 0.1%, reaching $75.5 billion in 2030.

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: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net data was reported at 89.513 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 87.832 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net data is updated yearly, averaging 87.442 % from Dec 1987 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.513 % in 2015 and a record low of 85.450 % in 2002. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net 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. Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Bachelor's Degree and Higher, 25 Yrs. & over (LNS14027662) from Jan 1992 to Jun 2025 about 25 years +, tertiary schooling, education, household survey, unemployment, rate, 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 were developed from the 2020-2021 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 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.

This table contains data on the percent of population age 25 and up with a four-year college degree or higher for California, its regions, counties, county subdivisions, cities, towns, and census tracts. Greater educational attainment has been associated with health-promoting behaviors including consumption of fruits and vegetables and other aspects of healthy eating, engaging in regular physical activity, and refraining from excessive consumption of alcohol and from smoking. Completion of formal education (e.g., high school) is a key pathway to employment and access to healthier and higher paying jobs that can provide food, housing, transportation, health insurance, and other basic necessities for a healthy life. Education is linked with social and psychological factors, including sense of control, social standing and social support. These factors can improve health through reducing stress, influencing health-related behaviors and providing practical and emotional support. More information on the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the Data and Resources section. The educational attainment table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project (HCI) of the Office of Health Equity. The goal of HCI is to enhance public health by providing data, a standardized set of statistical measures, and tools that a broad array of sectors can use for planning healthy communities and evaluating the impact of plans, projects, policy, and environmental changes on community health. The creation of healthy social, economic, and physical environments that promote healthy behaviors and healthy outcomes requires coordination and collaboration across multiple sectors, including transportation, housing, education, agriculture and others. Statistical metrics, or indicators, are needed to help local, regional, and state public health and partner agencies assess community environments and plan for healthy communities that optimize public health. More information on HCI can be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Accessible%202%20CDPH_Healthy_Community_Indicators1pager5-16-12.pdf

The format of the educational attainment table is based on the standardized data format for all HCI indicators. As a result, this data table contains certain variables used in the HCI project (e.g., indicator ID, and indicator definition). Some of these variables may contain the same value for all observations.