Educational attainment in the United States - Wikipedia Educational attainment in the United States This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( May 2015 ) This graph shows the educational attainment since 1940. Map of states percentage of population 25 years old with Advanced Degree in 2009. Map of states percentage of population 25 years old with bachelor 's degree or higher in 2009. High school graduation rate per state in 2017 90.0 -- 90.4 % 85.0 -- 89.9 % 80.0 -- 84.9 % 69.9 -- 79.9 % 2008 - 2012 Bachelor 's Degree or Higher ( 5 - year estimate ) by County ( percent ) The educational attainment of the U.S. population is similar to that of many other industrialized countries with the vast majority of the population having completed secondary education and a rising number of college graduates that outnumber high school dropouts. As a whole, the population of the United States is spending more years in formal educational programs. As with income, levels differ by race, age, household configuration and geography. Overall, the households and demographics featuring the highest educational attainment in the United States are also among those with the highest household income and wealth. Thus, while the population as a whole is proceeding further in formal educational programs, income and educational attainment remain highly correlated. Contents 1 General attainment of degrees / diplomas 2 Gender 2.1 Gender gap in literacy 2.2 Graduation rates 3 Ethnicity and race 3.1 Foreign born and immigrants 4 Income 5 Occupation 6 Geography 7 Social class and education 8 Educational attainment in social theory 8.1 Bourdieu and cultural capital 8.2 Lareau and concerted cultivation 8.3 Collins and credentialism 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links General attainment of degrees / diplomas Educational attainment in the United States ( 2014 ) Education Age 25 and over Age 25 - 29 High school diploma or GED 88.31 % 90.83 % Some college 58.57 % 64.31 % Associate and / or bachelor 's degree 41.89 % 44.08 % Bachelor 's degree 31.96 % 34.04 % Master 's and / or doctorate and / or professional degree 11.77 % 7.57 % Doctorate and / or professional degree 3.27 % 1.70 % Doctorate 1.77 % 0.89 % In 2003, over four - fifths ( 85 percent ) of all adults 25 years or older reported they had completed at least high school, or obtained a GED / high school equivalency certificate. Over one in four adults ( 27 percent ) had attained at least a bachelor 's degree. Both of these measures are all time highs. In 2003, the percentage of the adult population who had completed high school or had not completed high school but obtained a GED increased for the first time since 2000, when it was 84 percent. This increase follows a general trend that the Current Population Survey has shown since educational attainment was first measured in 1947. In 2015, among adults aged 65 and older, 84 percent had either completed high school or more education, or had failed to complete high school but obtained at least a GED certification, compared to 91 percent of adults aged 25 to 34 and 89 percent of adults aged 35 to 44 years or 45 to 64 years. In addition, 27 percent of the population aged 65 and older reported a bachelor 's degree or more education compared to 36 percent of adults 25 to 34 years old and 32 percent of adults aged 45 to 64 years. Since 1983 the percentage of people either graduating from high school or failing to complete high school but getting a GED certification has increased from 85 % to 88 %. The greatest increases in educational attainment were documented in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. In the 1950s and much of the 1960s high school graduates constituted about 50 % of those considered adults ( 25 and above ). For young adults aged between 25 and 29, the percentage of either high school graduates or GED obtainers was roughly 50 % in 1950 versus 90 % today. Gender For the past fifty years, there has been a gap in the educational achievement of males and females in the United States, but which gender has been disadvantaged has fluctuated over the years. In the 1970s and 1980s, data showed girls trailing behind boys in a variety of academic performance measures, specifically in test scores in math and science. Achievement gaps between boys and girls in the United States are more pronounced in reading and writing than in math and science. Data in the last twenty years shows the general trend of girls outperforming boys in academic achievement in terms of class grades across all subjects and college graduation rates, but boys scoring higher on standardized tests and being better represented in the higher - paying and more prestigious STEM fields ( science, technology, engineering, and math ). Gender gap in literacy Traditionally, girls have outperformed boys in reading and writing. Although this gap may be minimal in kindergarten, it grows as students continue their education. According to the 2004 National Reading Assessment measured by the US Department of Education, the gap between boys and girls, only slightly noticeable in 4th grade, left boys 14 points behind girls during their 12th grade year. On the 2008 test, female students continued to have higher average reading scores than male students at all three ages. The gap between male and female 4th graders was 7 points in 2008. By 12th grade, there was an 11 - point gap between males and females. On the 2002 National Writing Assessment, boys scored on average 17 points lower than girls in 4th grade. The average gap increased to 21 points by 8th grade and widened to 24 points by senior year in high school. In the more recent 2007 National Assessment of Writing Skills, female students continued to score higher than male students, though margins closed slightly from previous assessments. The average score for female eighth - graders was 20 points higher than males, down 1 point from the 2002 score. For twelfth - graders, females outscored males by 18 points as opposed to 24 points in 2002. All of these assessments were conducted on a 100 - point scale. Graduation rates Overall, women have surpassed men in terms of completing secondary and post-secondary education with the gender gap almost completely reversed. In 2006, 10.3 % of males and 8.3 % of females dropped out of high school. In 2005 / 2006, women earned 62 % of associate degrees, 58 % of bachelor 's degrees, 60.0 % of master 's degrees, and 48.9 % of Doctorates. According to recent data, 55 percent of college students are females and 45 percent are males. From 1995 until 2005, the number of males enrolled in college increased by 18 percent, while the number of female students rose by 27 percent. Males are enrolling in college in greater numbers than ever before, yet fewer than two - thirds of them are graduating with a bachelor 's degree. The numbers of both men and women receiving a bachelor 's degree have increased significantly, but the increasing rate of female college graduates exceeds the increasing rate for males. In 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that 18,423,000 males over the age of 18 held a bachelor 's degree, while 20,501,000 females over the age 18 held one. In addition, fewer males held master 's degrees : 6,472,000 males compared to 7,283,000 females. However, more men held professional and doctoral degrees than women. 2,033,000 males held professional degrees compared to 1,079,000, and 1,678,000 males had received a doctoral degree compared to 817,000 females. In 2015, the United States Census Bureau estimated that 36.1 % of individuals between the ages of 25 to 34 had a bachelor 's degree, with 36.3 % in individuals aged 35 to 44, 32 % in individuals 45 to 64, and 26.7 % in individuals 65 and older. In 2016 / 2017, women are projected to earn 64.2 % of associate degrees, 59.9 % of bachelor 's degrees, 62.9 % of master 's degrees, and 55.5 % of Doctorates. Ethnicity and race Further information : Racial achievement gap in the United States While the educational attainment of all races increased during the 1990s, with the gap between African Americans and non-Hispanic whites decreasing, differences between the races remain, especially among those with a bachelor 's degree or higher. Asian Americans had the highest educational attainment of any race, followed by whites who had a higher percentage of high school graduates but a lower percentage of college graduates. Persons identifying as Hispanic or Latino, without regard to race, had the lowest educational attainment. The gap was the largest between foreign - born Asian Americans, over half ( 50.1 % ) of whom had a bachelor 's degree or higher and foreign - born Hispanics, 9.8 % of whom had a four - year college degree. Hispanics and Latinos also trailed far behind in terms of graduating from high school ; it was the only major group for which high school graduates constituted less than 80 % of the population. This large inequality might partially be explained by the influx of uneducated foreign - born Hispanic Americans who had not been offered the chance to complete secondary education in their home country and who had not completed secondary education in the United States. Overall, nearly half ( 49.8 % ) of Asian Americans, nearly a third ( 30 % ) of non-Hispanic Whites, 17.3 % of non-Hispanic Blacks, and just over a tenth ( 11.4 % ) of Hispanics or Latinos had a four - year college degree. The same differences decrease significantly at the high school level with 89.4 % of non-Hispanic whites, 87.6 % of Asian Americans, 80.0 % of African Americans, and 57 % of Hispanics or Latinos having graduated from high school. The Racial achievement gap in the United States refers to these educational disparities between minority students and Caucasian students. Evidence of the racial achievement gap remains present today because not all groups of students are advancing at the same rates. The racial achievement gap has many individual and economic implications and there have been many efforts in education reform to narrow this gap. Foreign born and immigrants The difference among races and cultures, both native and foreign born, in regard to those who have earned a bachelor 's degree or higher. A trend becomes visible when comparing the foreign - born to the native - born populace of some races. Foreign - born Asian, European, and African immigrants had a higher educational attainment in terms of having earned a four - year college degree than their native - born counterparts. According to the U.S census about 43.8 percent of African immigrants achieved the most college degrees, compared to 42.5 percent of Asian - Americans, 28.9 percent for immigrants from Europe, Russia and Canada and 23.1 percent of the U.S. population as a whole. The opposite is true on the high school level and among Hispanics, where the dramatically lower educational attainment of the foreign - born population decreased the educational attainment of the general Hispanophone populace, statistically. The percentage of the foreign born with a high school diploma ( 67 percent ) was dramatically lower than that of the native population ( 88 percent ), but paradoxically, the percentage with a bachelor 's degree was the same ( 27 percent )... At the bachelor 's level, foreign born Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites fared better than their native counterparts. Foreign - born Hispanics, in contrast, had a smaller proportion with a bachelor 's degree than the native population... The low educational attainment of foreign - born Hispanics, who compose more than 50 percent of the Hispanic population, contributes to the low attainment levels of the entire Hispanic population. -- US Census Bureau, 2003 Only among Hispanics and Latinos was the proportion of college graduates larger among the native born population. In the general population the proportion of persons with a bachelor 's degree or higher was the same among the foreign - born and native - born population ( 27.2 % ). As stated above fewer foreign born Americans completed high school than native born Americans. Overall, 87.5 % of the native born population had graduated from high school, versus 67.2 %. Among whites the difference was three percentage points, the same as for African Americans. Among Asian Americans the difference was five percentage points. It was thirty percentage points among Hispanics or Latinos. African immigrants have been among the more highly educated group in the United States since the 1990s. This phenomenon is related to the large `` brain drain '' in Africa. Income Chart of unemployment and salary based on education attainment Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full - time wage and salary workers Educational attainment is strongly correlated with income in the United States. Although the incomes of both men and women are associated with higher educational attainment ( higher incomes for higher educational attainment ), large income gaps linked to race and gender remained at each educational level. In 2003, average incomes ranged from $13,459 for a male high - school dropout to $90,761 for a male with an advanced degree. The most significant average income difference was between those who had some college education or an Associates degree and those who had a Bachelor 's degree. While those with some college averaged $31,046, those with a bachelor 's degree averaged $51,194, over $20,000 ( 64.9 % ) a year more. The second most dramatic difference in average income was between those with a Bachelor 's degree with $51,940 and those with an advanced degree who made $72,824, roughly $21,000 ( 42.2 % ) more. The least significant difference was between those who had graduated from high school and those who had either some college or an Associates degree. Here the difference was a mere $3,766 or 13.8 %. The difference between those with a high school diploma ( $30,000 ) and those who did not complete high school ( $18,826 ) was $8,454 or 45 %. Overall, the income in the United States for all sexes, races and levels of educational attainment was $36,308 annually. Even though African immigrants are claimed to have higher educational attainment rates than any other group, they were the hardest hit during the most recent recession beginning in 2007. This shows that race and / or ethnicity may play a role in income levels and job selection. Criteria Overall Less than 9th grade High school drop - out High school graduate Some college Associates degree Bachelor 's degree Bachelor 's degree or more Master 's degree Professional degree Doctorate degree Median individual income Male, age 25 + $33,517 $15,461 $18,990 $28,763 $35,073 $39,015 $50,916 $55,751 $61,698 $88,530 $73,853 Female, age 25 + $19,679 $9,296 $10,786 $15,962 $21,007 $24,808 $31,309 $35,125 $41,334 $48,536 $53,003 Median household income $45,016 $18,787 $22,718 $36,835 $45,854 $51,970 $68,728 $73,446 $78,541 $100,000 $96,830 SOURCE : US Census Bureau, 2003 This graph shows the median household income in 2003 dollars according to educational attainment. Income by education and gender. The change in median personal and household income since 1991 also varied greatly with educational attainment. While both the overall median personal and household income increased since 1991, this increase did not take place on all levels of educational attainment. The overall income increased over the course of the 1990s, reaching its high in 1999, but has been decreasing ever since. In 1991 the median household income in the US was $40,873 in 2003 dollars, while the median household income in 2003 was $45,016. In 1999, however, the median household income was $46,236, 2.7 % higher than today. While this trend held true for all levels of educational attainment the extent of chorinical fluctuations in income were greatly influenced by educational attainment. Overall, the median household and personal income decreased for those with more than a 9th grade education but less than a four - year college degree since 1991. In other words, the median household income decreased for households and individuals at the high school drop - outs and graduate, some - college, and an Associates degree level. Income did, however, increase for those with a Bachelor 's degree or more. The following table shows the median household income according to the educational attainment of the householder. All data is in 2003 dollars and only applies to householders whose householder is aged twenty - five or older. The highest and lowest points of the median household income are presented in bold face. Year Overall Median Less than 9th grade High school drop - out High school graduate Some college Associates degree Bachelor 's degree Bachelor 's degree or more Master 's degree Professional degree Doctorate degree 1991 $40,873 $17,414 $23,096 $37,520 $46,296 $52,289 $64,150 $68,845 $72,669 $102,667 $92,614 $40,324 $17,450 $22,523 $35,979 $44,153 $49,622 $64,537 $70,349 $75,645 $109,900 $93,712 1995 $42,235 $18,031 $21,933 $37,609 $44,537 $50,485 $63,357 $69,584 $77,865 $98,302 $95,899 $43,648 $17,762 $22,688 $38,607 $45,734 $51,726 $67,487 $72,338 $77,850 $105,409 $99,699 1999 $46,236 $19,008 $23,977 $39,322 $48,588 $54,282 $70,925 $76,958 $82,097 $110,383 $107,217 $45,300 $18,830 $24,162 $37,468 $47,605 $53,166 $69,796 $75,116 $81,993 $103,918 $96,442 2003 $45,016 $18,787 $22,718 $36,835 $45,854 $51,970 $68,728 $73,446 $78,541 $100,000 $96,830 Average $43,376 $18,183 $23,013 $37,620 $46,109 $51,934 $66,997 $72,376 $78,094 $104,368 $94,487 SOURCE : US Census Bureau, 2003 Yellow indicates the year with the lowest median income while green indicates the year with the highest reported median income. Income by education and race. Among the races, educational attainment retains its dramatic effect on average income which varies significantly at each educational level. European Americans ( White Americans ) had the highest average income at every level of educational attainment. However, the proportion of those having college degrees is greater among Asian Americans than among non-Hispanic whites, and the overall highest average income is found among Asians. All races except Whites ranked last on at least one level with African Americans ranking last on the non-high school, high school and advanced degree level. Asians were second highest on the college graduate level and had the highest overall income among the general population. They also had the lowest average annual income for those with some college education or an Associates degree. Racial income difference were also significant at every level of educational attainment with the largest racial inequality being between European and African Americans who did not complete high school and those with advanced college degrees. Overall, European Americans with an advanced degree had the highest average annual income with $74,122. Asian Americans had the second highest with $72,852. Hispanics and African Americans had the lowest annual incomes among those with advanced degrees averaging $67,679 and $59,944 annually. The largest racial inequity was between European Americans with a Bachelor 's degree who made $53,185 and Hispanics who made $12,263 or 29.9 % less with an average annual income of $40,949. However, Asian Americans as a whole earn more than any other race due to a greater percentage of them being educated overall, an example of Simpson 's paradox. Occupation The educational attainment of employed civilians age 25 to 64 according to occupational field. The educational attainment varied significantly among the different types of occupations. The highest occupational attainment was among those in the Professional and related fields followed by those Business, Management and financial related occupations. The professional / managerial fields were the only two occupational fields where college graduates with a Bachelor 's degree or higher represented the majority. Among professional occupations, 99.1 % of the population graduated from high school, 90.2 % had some college education or an Associates degree and over two thirds, 68.2 % had a Bachelor 's degree or higher. Business and managerial occupations were second with 97.8 % having graduated from high school, 79.5 % having some college or an associates degree and just over half, 53.4 % having a Bachelor 's degree or higher. While nearly all employment fields feature a population where over 80 % had graduated from high school with over a third having some college education or an Associates degree, the fields relating to agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and transportation did not. These, often described as blue collar, fields featured a labor force where less than a tenth of the population had a Bachelor 's degree or higher, less than half had some college or an Associates, and less than 80 % had graduated from high school. Overall, the least educated occupational field was agriculture, ranking last on all educational levels. Here 55.4 % had graduated from high school, roughly one fifth ( 20.8 % ) had some college education or an Associates degree and 6.8 % had a Bachelor 's degree or higher. While the largest occupational field, that consisting of professionals and relating occupations was also the largest field, the fields with lower educational attainment combined were larger than the professional and managerial fields combined. Overall, 38.02 % were employed in the professional and managerial fields while 61.89 % were employed in the other white and blue collar fields were those with a bachelor 's degree or higher constituted less than a third of the work force. The percent of the labor force in the Professional / Managerial and relating occupations, white collar occupations and blue collar occupations. Geography Educational attainment among the population aged 25 and above varied rather slightly with geography region. The population of the Northeastern United States, which had the smallest population of any region with thirty - six million residents, had the highest percentage of high - school and college graduates. The western United States had the highest percentage of those with some college or an Associates degree and ranked second for college graduates. The South which had by far the largest population with roughly sixty - six million people had the lowest educational attainment at every level. The proportion of high school graduates was the largest in the Midwest while the proportion of those with some college or an Associates degree was the second and that of those with a Bachelor 's degree or higher was the third largest of any region. Social class and education Educational attainment is one of the primary indicators of social class in the United States. While the American social class system is a vaguely defined concept with many contradicting theories, educational attainment emerges as one of the top assessments of social class. Not only is a high educational attainment a status symbol by itself, but it is also very closely related to the other two main indicators of social class : occupation and income. A graduate degree and the roughly seven to eight years of post-secondary education serve as the main requirement for entering the `` professions '' and becoming part of the professional middle class. Education is a major key in becoming a more privileged member of the American middle class. Overall, educational attainment is the main entrance barrier into more privileged parts of the middle class as it is not only of high value but is also the requirement for becoming a professional and earning the corresponding income. This corresponding income is typically significantly higher than that of someone without this higher level of educational attainment in the United States. Exceptions include some entrepreneurs who can rank anywhere in the class system but are usually not referred to as professional middle class unless they are of the professions. In the United States, it is also important to differentiate between the statistical middle class, often defined as consisting of those who are neither rich nor poor, and the professional middle class. Recent research has shown that not only is the statistical middle of society ( those with income roughly 80 % to 120 % of the national median or members of the mid-quintile ) no longer able to afford the lifestyle indicative of the middle class, but there also seems to be a widening income gap in between those who may be described as being middle class. Education is not only the main requirement for becoming a member of the professional middle class, it is also key to a comfortable lifestyle and economic security. Those in the statistical middle may have to fear lay - offs and cost - cutting downsizing as well as out - sourcing, while some of those in the professional middle class are less subject to economic fluctuations and are more likely to enjoy upper - middle range incomes even in the face of recessions. Increasingly however even the professional middle class is facing lay - offs and job elimination due to downsizing and replacement of full - time workers with part - time workers -- this is particularly evident in colleges and universities where, by 2009, half of the faculty were part - time ; another 25 % were full - time but with short - term contracts, thus showing that advanced education is not necessarily associated with high salaries and economic stability. Academic class models Dennis Gilbert, 2002 William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, 2005 Leonard Beeghley, 2004 Class Typical characteristics Class Typical characteristics Class Typical characteristics Capitalist class ( 1 % ) Top - level executives, high - rung politicians, heirs. Ivy League education common. Upper class ( 1 % ) Top - level executives, celebrities, heirs ; income of $500,000 + common. Ivy league education common. The super-rich ( 0.9 % ) Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $350,000 ; includes celebrities and powerful executives / politicians. Ivy League education common. Upper middle class ( 15 % ) Highly - educated ( often with graduate degrees ), most commonly salaried, professionals and middle management with large work autonomy. Upper middle class ( 15 % ) Highly - educated ( often with graduate degrees ) professionals & managers with household incomes varying from the high 5 - figure range to commonly above $100,000. The rich ( 5 % ) Households with net worth of $1 million or more ; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees. Middle class ( plurality / majority ? ; ca. 46 % ) College - educated workers with considerably higher - than - average incomes and compensation ; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical. Lower middle class ( 30 % ) Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white - collar. Lower middle class ( 32 % ) Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy ; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education. Working class ( 30 % ) Clerical and most blue - collar workers whose work is highly routinized. Standard of living varies depending on number of income earners, but is commonly just adequate. High school education. Working class ( 32 % ) Clerical, pink - and blue - collar workers with often low job security ; common household incomes range from $16,000 to $30,000. High school education. Working class ( ca. 40 -- 45 % ) Blue - collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security ; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education. Working poor ( 13 % ) Service, low - rung clerical and some blue - collar workers. High economic insecurity and risk of poverty. Some high school education. Lower class ( ca. 14 -- 20 % ) Those who occupy poorly - paid positions or rely on government transfers. Some high school education. Underclass ( 12 % ) Those with limited or no participation in the labor force. Reliant on government transfers. Some high school education. The poor ( ca. 12 % ) Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force ; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education. References : Gilbert, D. ( 2002 ) The American Class Structure : In An Age of Growing Inequality. Belmont, CA : Wadsworth, ISBN 0534541100. ( see also Gilbert Model ) ; Thompson, W. & Hickey, J. ( 2005 ). Society in Focus. Boston, MA : Pearson, Allyn & Bacon ; Beeghley, L. ( 2004 ). The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. Boston, MA : Pearson, Allyn & Bacon. The upper middle class may also be referred to as `` Professional class '' Ehrenreich, B. ( 1989 ). The Inner Life of the Middle Class. NY, NY : Harper - Collins. Educational attainment in social theory Mean financial wealth of U.S. families by education of the head of household, 1989 -- 2010. Mean income of U.S. families by education of the head of household, 1989 -- 2010. Bourdieu and cultural capital Many scholars have studied educational attainment in the US as a form of social reproduction and stratification. In 1977, Pierre Bourdieu presented the idea that education leads to social reproduction and a stratified society by honoring the cultural capital of elite classes. Students who possess the valued cultural capital, according to Bourdieu, are rewarded with high academic achievement. When elite class members enter the workforce, they are channeled into high paying jobs and powerful positions within society, while those who did not achieve the same level of academic success fall into subordinate occupations and status levels. By rewarding the desired cultural capital with high academic achievement, upper classes are able and prepared to reach higher levels of educational attainment. Members of the working class, on the other hand, are not rewarded for their cultural capital in schools, and are instead socialized for working class jobs. Lareau and concerted cultivation Annette Lareau also addresses the factors that lead to social stratification in educational attainment. Lareau 's idea of concerted cultivation refers to an active involvement of parents in a child 's learning and development experiences by creating and controlling organized activities for their children. According to Lareau, middle - class parents engage in concerted cultivation to teach their children, while lower - and working - class parents do not. Laureau further explains that schools firmly encourage and expect parents to use concerted cultivation as a child - rearing strategy. The child - rearing practices of lower - and working - class families thus do not comply with the standards of educational institutions. As a result, lower - and working - class students develop a sense of `` distance, distrust, and constraint '' in educational institutions, while children of middle - class families gain a sense of entitlement. These differences in child - rearing practices lead to children of lower - and working - class families to lack the necessary life skills that the children of the middle class possess, further isolating them from educational opportunities. In the United States, education attainment typically is viewed as a sign of social status. Collins and credentialism Randall Collins contributed the idea of credentialism to the study of class - based differences in educational attainment. Collins maintains that public schools are socializing institutions that teach and reward middle - class values of competition and achievement. In this view, elites are selectively separated from other students and placed into prestigious schools and colleges, where they are trained to hold positions of power. By teaching middle - class culture through the public education system, the elite class ensures a monopoly over positions of power, while others acquire the credentials to compete in a subordinate job market and economy. In this way, schools of medicine, law, and elite institutions have remained closed to members of lower classes. See also American middle class Education in the United States Household income in the United States Literacy in the United States Poverty in the United States List of U.S. States by Education attainment Racial achievement gap in the United States General : Academic degree Status attainment References Jump up ^ Ryan, Camille ; Siebens, Julie ( March 2016 ). `` Educational Attainment in the United States : 2015 '' ( PDF ). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` US Census Bureau report on educational attainment in the United States, 2003 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved July 31, 2006. Jump up ^ Note that these add up to more than 100 % because they are cumulative ; e.g. it is assumed that all people with doctorates also have undergraduate and high school degrees, and are thus counted twice in the `` lower '' categories. Age 25 is used rather than age 18 because there are few people aged 18 or over with advanced degrees. `` Educational Attainment in the United States : 2014 ''. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 29, 2015. Percentages are calculated based on Census data by counting people that had attained that level or higher. Jump up ^ Census. `` Educational Attainment in the United States : 2015 '' ( PDF ). ^ Jump up to : Kafir, Krista ( April 2007 ). `` Taking the Boy Crisis in Education Seriously : How School Choice can Boost Achievement Among Boys and Girls. '' Independent Women 's Forum. ^ Jump up to : Perie, M. ( 2005 ). NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress. Washington, DC : US Department of Education. ^ Jump up to : Persky, H. ( 2003 ). The Nation 's Report Card : Writing 2002. US Department of Education. ^ Jump up to : Salahu - Din, Debra ( 2008 ). The Nation 's Report Card : Writing 2007. US Department of Education. Jump up ^ `` Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old ( status dropout rate ), by sex and race / ethnicity : Selected years, 1960 through 2006 ''. Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Historical summary of faculty, students, degrees, and finances in degree - granting institutions : Selected years, 1869 -- 70 through 2005 -- 06 ''. Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Digest of Education Statistics 2007 Jump up ^ Mead, Sara. ( 2006 ). The Evidence Suggests Otherwise : The Truth About Boys and Girls. Washington : Education Sector. Jump up ^ U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement 2007. Jump up ^ `` Degrees conferred by degree - granting institutions, by level of degree and sex of student : Selected years, 1869 -- 70 through 2016 -- 17 ''. Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` African Immigrants are the Most Educated ''. Africaresource.com. April 28, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Migration Information Source - African Immigrants in the United States ''. Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` AAME : ''. Inmotionaame.org. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Affirmative Action Minorities - Affirmative Action College Admissions ''. Racerelations.about.com. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ ( Logan & Deane, 2003 ; Williams, 2005 ; The Economist, 1996 ; Arthur, 2000 ; Selassie, 1998 ). Jump up ^ `` AAME : image ''. Inmotionaame.org. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Sub-Saharan African immigrants arrive with the most education but struggle with underemployment ''. FSRN Radio News. Retrieved 16 September 2017. ^ Jump up to : Bradford, Harry ( August 3, 2011 ). `` Foreign - Born Blacks Hit Hardest Of All Immigrant Groups By Jobs Crisis ''. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Migration Information Source - Characteristics of the African Born in the United States ''. Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Jump up ^ http://www.aracorporation.org/files/14._africans_most_educated.pd. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Missing or empty title = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Educational attainment and median household income ''. Archived from the original on September 3, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2006. ^ Jump up to : `` Personal income and educational attainment, US Census Bureau ''. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2006. ^ Jump up to : Ehrenreich, Barbara ( 1989 ). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY : Harper Collins. ISBN 0 - 06 - 097333 - 1. Jump up ^ `` Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy ''. Retrieved July 25, 2006. ^ Jump up to : Fussel, Paul ( 1983 ). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY : Touchstone. ISBN 0 - 671 - 79225 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Middle income ca n't buy Middle class lifestyle ''. Archived from the original on December 30, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2006. Jump up ^ James Monks. `` Who are the Part - time Faculty ? '' Academe, July -- August 2009. http://www.aaup.org/article/who-are-part-time-faculty#.UsU90fQW0oo Jump up ^ Bourdieu, P. ( 1977 ) Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction. In : Karabel, J., & Halsey, A.H. ( eds. ) Power and Ideology in Education. Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 487 - 511. Jump up ^ Lareau, A. ( 2003 ). Unequal Childhoods ; Class, Race, and Family Life. Berkeley, CA : University of California Press. ISBN 0 - 520 - 23950 - 4. Jump up ^ Collins, R ( 1979 ). The Credential Society ; An Historical Sociology of Education and Stratification. New York, NY : Academic Press. ISBN 0 - 12 - 181360 - 6. Further reading Sunny Decker ( 1969 ), An Empty Spoon, New York : Harper & Row. James Herndon ( 1968 / 1969 ), The Way It Spozed to Be, reprint, New York : Bantam. James Herndon ( 1971 / 1997 ), How to Survive in Your Native Land, reprint, Portsmouth, NH : Boynton / Cook. James Herndon ( 1985 ), Notes from a Schoolteacher, New York : Simon and Schuster. Holly Yettick and Sterling C. Lloyd ( 2015 ), `` Graduation Rate Hits High, But Some Groups Lag, '' Education Week. External links Educational Attainment in the United States : 2003, U.S. Census Bureau The Big Payoff : Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work - Life Earnings, U.S. Census Bureau Map : Graduation Rate by State, Student Group, Education Week Social class Status Theories Gilbert model Marxian Mudsill theory New class Spoon class theory Weberian ( three - component ) Related topics Caste Chattering classes Class conflict Class discrimination Classicide Classless society Euthenics Nouveau riche / Parvenu Poverty Ranked society Snobbery Social cleansing Social exclusion Social mobility Social orphan Social position Social stigma Subaltern By demographic By status Administrative detainee Alien illegal immigrant refugee Citizen dual or multiple native - born naturalized second - class Convicted Migrant worker Political prisoner Stateless By `` collar '' Blue Gold Green Grey Pink White By type Creative Bohemians Robber baron Russian oligarch Business magnate Overclass Superclass Middle Lower middle class Upper middle class Bourgeoisie Petite bourgeoisie Working Working poor Proletariat Lumpenproletariat Warrior Harii Kshatriya Yadav Nair Chhetri Cossacks Hashashin Knight Vanniyar Samurai Cuāuh Ocēlōtl Spartiate Under Commoner Outcast Outlaw Peasant / Serf Slave Untouchable Upper Bourgeoisie Elite Global elite Gentry Nobility Old money Ruling Aristocracy Hanseaten Patrician Royal family Intellectual Clergy Knowledge worker By country or region United States Affluence American Dream Conflict Social class in American history Classes Lower Middle ( Mexican - American, Black ) Upper Under Income Household Inequality Personal Poverty Standard of living Educational attainment Homelessness Home ownership Wealth Other countries or regions Africa Cambodia China Colombia Ecuador France Haiti India Iran Italy Nepal New Zealand Romania Sri Lanka Tibet United Kingdom Historic Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Aztec Ottoman Empire Soviet Union Pre-industrial East Asia Pre-industrial Europe Category Life in the United States Crime Culture Economic issues affluence eviction home - ownership household income income inequality labor unions middle class personal income poverty standard of living wealth Education ( attainment ) Family structure Health health care health insurance Holidays Homelessness Human rights Languages Passenger vehicle transport Political ideologies Race Religion Social class Society Sports Demographics of the United States Demographic history By economic and social Affluence Educational attainment Emigration Home - ownership Household income Immigration Income inequality Language LGBT Middle classes Personal income Poverty Social class Unemployment by state Wealth By religion Baha'is Buddhists Christians Catholics Coptics Mormons Protestants Hindus Jains Jews Muslims Ahmadiyyas NoI Five - Percent Nation Neopagans Non-religious Rastafaris Scientologists Sikhs Zoroastrians By continent and ethnicity Africa African diaspora in the Americas Afro - Caribbean / West Indian Americans Bahamian Americans Belizean Americans Guyanese Americans Haitian Americans Jamaican Americans Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans Black Hispanic and Latino Americans African immigrants to the United States Central Africans in the United States Horn Africans in the United States North Africans in the United States Southeast Africans in the United States Southern Africans in the United States West Africans in the United States Asia Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans East Asia Chinese Americans Hong Kong Americans Tibetan Americans Japanese Americans Korean Americans Mongolian Americans Taiwanese Americans South Asia Bangladeshi Americans Bhutanese Americans Indian Americans Nepalese Americans Pakistani Americans Romani Americans Sri Lankan Americans Southeast Asia Burmese Americans Cambodian Americans Filipino Americans Hmong Americans Indonesian Americans Laotian Americans Malaysian Americans Singaporean Americans Thai Americans Vietnamese Americans West Asia Arab Americans Assyrian Americans Iranian Americans Israeli Americans Jewish Americans Europe White Americans English Americans French Americans German Americans Irish Americans Italian Americans Scandinavian Americans Slavic Americans Spanish Americans Non-Hispanic whites White Hispanic and Latino Americans Oceania Pacific Islands Americans Chamorro Americans Native Hawaiians Samoan Americans Tongan Americans Americans of Euro Oceanic origin Australian Americans New Zealand Americans North America Native Americans and Alaska Natives Canadian Americans Cuban Americans Mexican Americans Puerto Ricans ( Stateside ) South America Hispanic and Latino Americans Brazilian Americans Colombian Americans Ecuadorian Americans Multiethnic Melungeon People of the United States / Americans American ancestry Maps of American ancestries 2010 Census Race and ethnicity in the Census Race and ethnicity in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Racism United States articles History By event Timeline of U.S. history Pre-Columbian era Colonial era Thirteen Colonies military history Continental Congress American Revolution War American frontier Confederation Period Drafting and ratification of Constitution Federalist Era War of 1812 Territorial acquisitions Territorial evolution Mexican -- American War Civil War Reconstruction Era Indian Wars Gilded Age Progressive Era African - American civil rights movement 1865 -- 1896 / 1896 -- 1954 / 1954 -- 1968 Spanish -- American War Imperialism World War I Roaring Twenties Great Depression World War II home front Nazism in the United States American Century Cold War Korean War Space Race Feminist Movement Vietnam War Post-Cold War ( 1991 -- 2008 ) War on Terror War in Afghanistan Iraq War Recent events ( 2008 -- present ) By topic Outline of U.S. history Demographic Discoveries Economic debt ceiling Inventions before 1890 1890 -- 1945 1946 -- 91 after 1991 Military Postal Technological and industrial Geography Territory counties federal district federal enclaves Indian reservations insular zones minor outlying islands populated places states Earthquakes Extreme points Islands Mountains peaks ranges Appalachian Rocky National Park Service National Parks Regions East Coast West Coast Great Plains Gulf Mid-Atlantic Midwestern New England Pacific Central Eastern Northern Northeastern Northwestern Southern Southeastern Southwestern Western Longest rivers Arkansas Colorado Columbia Mississippi Missouri Red ( South ) Rio Grande Yukon Time Water supply and sanitation Politics Federal Executive Cabinet Civil service Executive departments Executive Office Independent agencies Law enforcement President of the United States Public policy Legislative House of Representatives current members Speaker Senate current members President pro tempore Vice President Judicial Courts of appeals District courts Supreme Court Law Bill of Rights civil liberties Code of Federal Regulations Constitution federalism preemption separation of powers Federal Reporter United States Code United States Reports Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Defense Intelligence Agency Federal Bureau of Investigation National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency Office of the Director of National Intelligence Uniformed Armed Forces Army Marine Corps Navy Air Force Coast Guard National Guard NOAA Corps Public Health Service Corps 51st state political status of Puerto Rico District of Columbia statehood movement Elections Electoral College Foreign relations Foreign policy Hawaiian sovereignty movement Ideologies anti-Americanism exceptionalism nationalism Local government Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Red states and blue states Purple America Scandals State government governor state legislature state court Uncle Sam Economy By sector Agriculture Banking Communications Energy Insurance Manufacturing Mining Tourism Trade Transportation Companies by state Currency Exports Federal budget Federal Reserve System Financial position Labor unions Public debt Social welfare programs Taxation Unemployment Wall Street Society Culture Americana Architecture Cinema Cuisine Dance Demography Education Family structure Fashion Flag Folklore Languages American English Indigenous languages ASL Black American Sign Language HSL Plains Sign Talk Arabic Chinese French German Italian Russian Spanish Literature Media Journalism Internet Newspapers Radio Television Music Names People Philosophy Public holidays Religion Sexuality Sports Theater Visual art Social class Affluence American Dream Educational attainment Homelessness Home - ownership Household income Income inequality Middle class Personal income Poverty Professional and working class conflict Standard of living Wealth Issues Ages of consent Capital punishment Crime incarceration Criticism of government Discrimination affirmative action antisemitism intersex rights Islamophobia LGBT rights racism same - sex marriage Drug policy Energy policy Environmental movement Gun politics Health care abortion health insurance hunger obesity smoking Human rights Immigration illegal International rankings National security Mass surveillance Terrorism Separation of church and state Outline Index Book Category Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Educational_attainment_in_the_United_States&oldid=848626114 '' Categories : Education in the United States Social class in the United States Wealth in the United States Demographic history of the United States Hidden categories : Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2016 Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2015 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Use mdy dates from February 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Add links This page was last edited on 3 July 2018, at 05 : 32 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what percentage of the us population have a college degree
Answer: 41.89%