Report Shows Increased Higher Education Attainment Over Time

February 11, 2021 by Sara Wilkerson
Report Shows Increased Higher Education Attainment Over Time

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released a report brief that shows higher education attainment levels have increased for Americans over the past 15 years. Data gathered for the report was sourced from the American Community Survey, an ongoing survey initiative under the Census Bureau that provides vital information on changing populations and local communities.  

According to the Bureau’s “Bachelor’s Degree Attainment in the United States: 2005 to 2019” report, there are several key findings from the ACS’ examination of attainment from 2005-09, 2010-14, and 2015-19. These findings include: 

  • Education attainment nationwide increased during the 15-year period 
  • From 2005-2009 and 2015-2019, attainment increased for all race groups 
  • Overall, bachelor’s attainment by county increased by an average of 3.3 percentage points from 2005 to 2019 

In the report, researchers examined attainment patterns based on national and county-levels.  

On a national scale, bachelor’s attainment levels overall were shown to have increased by five percentage points over time for those aged 25 years or more, from 27.5 to 32.1%.  

Additionally, researchers found that attainment percentage levels increased for all race groups. However, the Bureau noted that attainment percentages varied among certain race groups in the 15-year period. 

According to the report’s findings, for race groups with relatively low levels of attainment at the start of the 15 year period ended up experiencing higher levels of growth in attainment compared to those starting with high levels of attainment.  

“For example, respondents identifying as Black alone, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, and Some Other Race alone all saw the percentage of people with bachelor’s degrees expand by 20% or more.  

“Moreover, Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) and those identifying as Two or More Races had bachelor’s degree attainment increase by 30% or more from 2005– 2009 to 2015–2019,” stated the report. 

Meanwhile, groups with higher levels of attainment (i.e., White only, Asian only and non-Hispanic) at the start of the 15-year period averaged a 14% growth increase over time. 

On a county-level, the Bureau found that bachelor’s attainment by county increased by an average of 3.3 percentage points from 2005 to 2019. 

“Over half of all counties experienced a statistically significant increase in the share with a bachelor’s degree or higher,” wrote Bureau researchers.  

Yet, while attainment at the county-level increased, growth in attainment levels varied depending on counties that were above or below the national mean.  

For counties below the national mean, or those less than 18.7% of attainment, growth gains were found to be smaller than those who were above the national mean.  

“For example, counties below the mean had an average increase of 3 percentage points in bachelor’s degree attainment from 2005–2009 to 2015–2019, compared to an average increase of 3.8 percentage points for counties that were above the mean in 2005–2009.” 

Growth levels for counties were also found to have varied by region. 

The Northeast region, for instance, was found to have had the highest attainment rate in “2005–2009 (25.%) and 2015–2019 (29.8%), followed by counties in the West, Midwest, and South.” 

Additionally, the Northeast also had the fastest rate of attainment growth (4.2%) during this time period. 

Meanwhile, increases in the percentages of the population having a bachelor’s degree or higher also vary by region.  

The Northeast’s population percentage reached a high of 90.%, while in other regions like the Midwest and the South, percentages were generally significant increases as well, 60.9 and 53.3 respectively. At the same time, close to half of counties in the West (47.2%) experienced increases in attainment.  

Towards the end of the Bureau’s report, the authors noted a few observations of where higher levels of attainment were concentrated in.  

“Higher levels of educational attainment are often found in counties containing major metropolitan areas, such as the District of Columbia, New York, Chicago, and Seattle.  

“Counties with a large number of undergraduate students also exhibit higher levels of attainment, such as Centre County, Pennsylvania, home of Pennsylvania State University.” 

The report brief released from the Census Bureau marks the first time that data from multiple, non-consecutive 5-year reports from the ACS were combined to investigate bachelor’s degree attainment.  

A+
a-
  • Census Bureau
  • Education
  • Higher Ed
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Education

    December 6, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Antisemitism at US Universities Takes Center Stage on Capitol Hill

    WASHINGTON — The four students, each from an elite university, stood pensively beneath Gilbert Stuart’s iconic life-size portrait of George... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The four students, each from an elite university, stood pensively beneath Gilbert Stuart’s iconic life-size portrait of George Washington, which hangs in the Rayburn room of the U.S. Capitol. Talia Khan, Bella Engberg, Eyal Yakoby and Jonathan Frieden all looked like they’d prefer to... Read More

    October 9, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Anti-Affirmative Action Group Sues Naval Academy Over Admissions Policy

    BALTIMORE — A group that opposes race-conscious college admissions sued the U.S. Naval Academy last week. The Virginia-based group, called... Read More

    BALTIMORE — A group that opposes race-conscious college admissions sued the U.S. Naval Academy last week. The Virginia-based group, called Students for Fair Admissions, says the Naval Academy discriminates by allowing race to be a factor in deciding who is admitted to the Navy’s top institution... Read More

    Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Crosses Partisan School Choice Divide

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In the partisan politics of education funding, the school choice movement has pressed states for decades to send... Read More

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In the partisan politics of education funding, the school choice movement has pressed states for decades to send taxpayer money to private and religious schools and long had to concentrate its efforts on states where a Republican governor was an ally. That suddenly changed... Read More

    September 15, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Calif. AG Blasts School District for Adopting Mandatory ‘Outing’ Measure

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday blasted a suburban school district near the state capital for... Read More

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday blasted a suburban school district near the state capital for adopting a mandatory gender identity disclosure policy he contends will threaten the safety and well-being of transgender and other nonconforming students. The Dry Creek Joint Elementary... Read More

    August 30, 2023
    by Natalie McCormick
    University of North Carolina Grapples With Professor’s On-Campus Murder

    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Fear swept over the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Monday afternoon... Read More

    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Fear swept over the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Monday afternoon as students, faculty and staff began checking buzzing cellphones and finding an alert stating, “Emergency: Armed, dangerous person on or near campus. Go inside now; avoid... Read More

    Books Banned in Other States Fuel Vermont Lieutenant Governor's Reading Tour

    WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vermont’s lieutenant governor was at a local library, reading a book... Read More

    WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vermont’s lieutenant governor was at a local library, reading a book about two male penguins to a crowd of nearly two dozen. This was not the first stop for Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman nor would it be... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top