NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

Educational Attainment of Mothers Aged 25 and Over: 

United States, 2017

T.J. Mathews, M.S., and Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D.

NCHS reports can be downloaded from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/index.htm.

Key findings

Data from the National 

Vital Statistics System

● In 2017, 41.7% of mothers

aged 25 and over had

completed a Bachelor’s or

advanced degree.

● Non-Hispanic Asian mothers

aged 25 and over were the

most likely of all race and

Hispanic-origin groups to

have a Bachelor’s or advanced

degree (67.9%).

● Mothers in the District of

Columbia were more likely to

have a Bachelor’s or advanced

degree (58.5%) compared

with mothers in other U.S.

jurisdictions.

● The mean number of births

declined with advancing 

maternal education from 2.70 

births for mothers with less 

than a 12th grade education, 

with no high school diploma, 

to just under 1.90 births for 

mothers with a Bachelor’s or 

advanced degree.

Maternal education has been shown to be associated with the number of 

children a woman has during her childbearing years, as well as maternal and 

infant health (1–5). Using 2017 national birth certificate data, this report 

describes educational attainment of mothers aged 25 and over, overall and by 

race and Hispanic origin and state, and the mean numbers of live births by 

mothers’ educational attainment.

Over 40% of births in 2017 were to mothers aged 25 and over 

with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree.

● In 2017, mothers with an advanced degree (i.e., Master’s degree or

doctorate) represented 15.9% of all births in the United States (Figure 1).

● The largest percentage of births by educational attainment was for

mothers with a Bachelor’s degree (25.8%), followed by mothers who

0

20

40

60

80

100

15.9 Advanced degree

25.8 Bachelor's degree

9.5 Associate’s degree

19.2 Some college, but no degree

19.6 High school graduate

10.0 12th grade or less, no diploma

Figure 1. Percentage of births to mothers aged 25 and over, by educational attainment: 

United States, 2017 

1

Significant differences between all educational attainment levels (p < 0.05).

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 1 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db332_tables-508.pdf#1.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.

Maternal education1

Percentage
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

■  2  ■

were high school graduates (19.6%), and mothers who had attended some college but had 

not received a degree (19.2%). 

● The smallest percentage of births in 2017 was for mothers who attained an Associate’s 

degree (9.5%). The percentage of births to mothers with less than a high school degree was 

slightly higher (10.0%).

Non-Hispanic Asian mothers aged 25 and over were most likely to have a 

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in 2017.

● In 2017, non-Hispanic Asian mothers were most likely to have a higher education than 

women in any other race and Hispanic-origin group, with more than two-thirds having a 

Bachelor’s or advanced degree (67.9%) (Figure 2). 

● More than one-half (51.3%) of non-Hispanic white mothers had a Bachelor’s or advanced 

degree at the time of birth, a higher percentage than non-Hispanic black (24.6%), Hispanic 

(18.9%), non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) (13.2%), and 

non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) mothers (12.7%). 

● Among all race and Hispanic-origin subgroups, Hispanic and non-Hispanic NHOPI mothers 

were most likely to have a high school degree or less (53.9% and 52.9%, respectively).

● Non-Hispanic Asian mothers were least likely (16.2%) to have a high school degree or less 

at the time of birth. 

0

20

40

60

80

100

Bachelor's or advanced 

degree1

Some college or 

Associate’s degree2

High school graduate 

or less3

 White Black AIAN Asian NHOPI Hispanic

Non-Hispanic

51.3

29.0

19.7

24.6

36.3

39.1

18.9

27.2

53.9

13.2

33.9

52.9

12.7

38.6

48.6

67.9

15.9

16.2

Figure 2. Percentage of births to mothers aged 25 and over, by educational attainment and race and Hispanic origin: 

United States, 2017 

1

Significant differences between groups except between non-Hispanic AIAN and non-Hispanic NHOPI (p < 0.05). 2

Significant differences between groups (p < 0.05). 3

Significant differences between groups except between non-Hispanic NHOPI and Hispanic (p < 0.05). 

NOTES: AIAN is American Indian or Alaska Native. NHOPI is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Figures may not total to 100 percent due to rounding. 

Access data table for Figure 2 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db332_tables-508.pdf#2.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality. Percent
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

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The percentage of mothers aged 25 and over who had a Bachelor’s or 

advanced degree was 50% or higher in six jurisdictions.

● In 2017, the percentage of births to mothers with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree was 

highest in the District of Columbia (58.5%) (Figure 3). States with more than 50% of births 

to mothers with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree include: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont. 

● In 10 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, and West Virginia), less than 35% of mothers had a Bachelor’s or 

advanced degree. 

● Nevada had the lowest percentage of mothers with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree (26.6%) 

and New Mexico had the second lowest (28.8%).

OR

CA

AZ

AK

HI

NM

TX LA

MS AL GA

OH

FL

AR

MO

TN

KY

NE

OK

KS

NV1

UT

CO

WA

ID

MT ND

WY

SD WI

MI

ME

NH MA

CT RI

NJ

DE

VT

NY

PA

WV VA MD

NC

SC

IL IN

MN

IA

DC2

50.0% or more

45.0 to 49.9%

40.0 to 44.9%

35.0 to 39.9%

Less than 35.0%

U.S. total is 41.7%.

Figure 3. Percentage of births to mothers aged 25 and over with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree, by state: 

United States, 2017 

1

Significant difference between the lowest jurisdiction (NV) and all other jurisdictions (p < 0.05). 2

Significant difference between the highest jurisdiction (DC) and all other jurisdictions (p < 0.05).

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 3 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db332_tables-508.pdf#3.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

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Among mothers aged 25 and over, the mean number of live births declined 

with increasing educational attainment.

● The mean number of live births was highest among mothers with less than a high school 

education (2.70) in 2017 (Figure 4).

● The mean number of live births then declined to 2.25 for mothers with a high school 

diploma, to 2.15 for mothers with some college but no degree, and then to 2.13 for mothers 

with an Associate’s degree. 

● The lowest mean numbers of live births were for mothers with a Bachelor’s degree (1.87) 

and with an advanced degree (1.80).

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

Mean number of live births

Maternal education1,2

High school

graduate

2.25

Some college,

but no degree

2.15

Associate’s 

degree

2.13

Bachelor's 

degree

1.87

Advanced 

degree

1.80

12th grade or 

less, no diploma

2.70

Figure 4. Mean number of live births to mothers aged 25 and over, by educational attainment: United States, 2017 

1

Significant negative relationship with increasing educational attainment (p < 0.05). 2

Significant differences between all educational attainment levels (p < 0.05).

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 4 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db332_tables-508.pdf#4.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

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Summary

In 2017, 41.7% of mothers aged 25 and over giving birth in the United States had a Bachelor’s or 

advanced degree. Of the six race and Hispanic-origin groups, non-Hispanic Asian mothers were 

most likely to have a Bachelor’s or advanced degree (67.9%). The District of Columbia had the 

highest percentage of births to mothers with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree (58.5%), whereas 

Nevada had the lowest (26.6%). The mean number of births declined with increasing maternal 

educational attainment. 

National birth certificate data on maternal educational attainment became available in 2016. From 

2003 to 2015, during implementation of the 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth among 

jurisdictions, comparable data on the education level of women giving birth for all states were 

not available. Accordingly, this publication is the first to report on the education of all mothers in 

the United States in more than 20 years (6). This report presents general descriptive tabulations 

of births by educational attainment, including the percentages of birth by educational attainment, 

race and Hispanic origin, and by state of residence of the mother, and the mean number of births 

by educational attainment of mother. A forthcoming report will present more detailed tabulations 

of births by maternal education level, and will include birth rates by educational attainment.

Definition

Educational attainment: The highest degree or level of school completed by the mother at the time 

of birth; this information is self-reported by the mother. The education categories are 8th grade 

or less; 9th through 12th grade, with no diploma; high school graduate or GED completed; some 

college, but no degree; Associate’s degree; Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree; and Doctorate or 

other professional degree.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

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Data source and methods

This report is based on 2017 data from the Natality Data File from the National Vital Statistics 

System (NVSS). The vital statistics natality file is derived from birth certificates and includes 

information for all births occurring in the United States. The birth data set is the primary data set 

for analyzing birth trends and patterns in the United States. Birth data sets are available from: 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm.

The previous revision of the standard birth certificate collected years of education, which is 

not comparable with the current education item that collects data on educational degrees. This 

precludes any trend analysis of national birth data on maternal education.

Race and Hispanic origin are reported separately on birth certificates. Persons of Hispanic origin 

may be of any race. Persons of non-Hispanic origin are further classified by race because of 

differences in fertility and maternal characteristics between Hispanic and non-Hispanic persons. 

The race and Hispanic-origin groups shown in this report are based on the 1997 Office of 

Management and Budget standards (7). All non-Hispanic race groups shown here are single race.

References to differences in percentages in Figures 1 and 2 or means in Figure 4 indicate that 

the differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05, based on a two-tailed z test. In Figure 3, 

references to differences between the highest or lowest percentages indicate that the differences 

are statistically significant at p < 0.05, based on a two-tailed z test. The relationship between 

mean number of births and maternal educational attainment was evaluated using the Pearson’s 

correlation test and the negative relationship is statistically significant at p < 0.05. Computations 

of percents and means exclude records for which information is unknown or not stated. 

About the authors

T.J. Mathews and Brady E. Hamilton are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division 

of Vital Statistics, Reproductive Statistics Branch.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

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References

1. Ruiz M, Goldblatt P, Morrison J, Kukla L, Švancara J, Riitta-Järvelin M, et al. Mother’s 

education and the risk for preterm and small for gestational age birth: A DRIVERS meta-analysis 

of 12 European cohorts. J Epidemiol Community Health 69(9):826–33. 2015.

2. Zang E. Women’s educational attainment and fertility in the United States among generation 

Xers. SocArXiv. 2018. Available from: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/e4c9y/.

3. Hazan M, Zoabi H. Do highly educated women choose smaller families? Econ J 

125(587):1191–1226. 2015.

4. Silva LM, Jansen PW, Steegers EA, Jaddoe VW, Arends LR, Tiemeier H, et al. Mother’s 

educational level and fetal growth: The genesis of health inequalities. Int J Epidemiol 

39(5):1250–61. 2010. 

5. James-Todd T, Janevic T, Brown FM, Savitz DA. Race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and 

pregnancy complications in New York City women with pre-existing diabetes. Paediatr Perinat 

Epidemiol 28(2):157–65. 2014.

6. Mathews TJ, Ventura SJ. Birth and fertility rates by educational attainment: United States, 

1994. Monthly Vital Statistics Reports; vol 45 no 10, supp. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for 

Health Statistics. 1997.

7. Office of Management and Budget. Revisions to the standards for the classification of federal 

data on race and ethnicity. Fed Regist 62(210):58782–90. 1997.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 332 ■ February 2019

Suggested Citation

Mathews TJ, Hamilton BE. Educational 

attainment of mothers aged 25 and over: 

United States, 2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 

332. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for 

Health Statistics. 2019.

Copyright information 

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated. 

National Center for Health 

Statistics 

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Acting Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

Division of Vital Statistics 

Steven Schwartz, Ph.D., Director

Hanyu Ni, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Director 

for Science

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Keywords: childbearing by education • live-birth order • race and Hispanic 

origin • maternal age • National Vital Statistics System