NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
ERIC Number: ED505040
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Jan
Pages: 16
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
Crissey, Sarah R.
US Department of Commerce
This report provides a portrait of educational attainment in the United States based on data collected in the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) and data collected in 2008 and earlier in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Previous U.S. Census Bureau reports on this topic were based on educational attainment data from the CPS. The ACS has a larger sample and provides statistics for small levels of geography, which is why it is now used as a main source of educational attainment data. The report includes comparisons by demographic characteristics, information about educational attainment among the native-born and foreign-born populations is included. The report also presents a geographic picture with estimates by region and state. Workers' median earnings by educational attainment are addressed, including demographic differences. References to older data are included to present some general historical trends. Reported highlights include: (1) In 2007, 84 percent of adults aged 25 and over reported having at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, while 27 percent reported a bachelor's degree or higher: more than a three-fold increase in high school attainment and more than a five-fold increase in college attainment since the Census Bureau first collected educational attainment data in 1940; (2) A larger proportion of women than men had completed high school or more education; a larger proportion of men had received at least a bachelor's degree; (3) Differences in educational attainment by race and Hispanic origin existed; (4) Educational attainment varied by nativity; (5) Educational attainment of foreign-born Hispanics was lower than all other groups; (6) The Midwest region had the highest percentage of adults reporting a high school diploma or more education, and the Northeast had the highest percentage with a bachelor's degree or more education; and (7) Workers with a bachelor's degree, on average, earned approximately $20,000 more a year than workers with a high school diploma. Comparison of Census Bureau Data Sources on Educational Attainment is appended. (Contains 22 footnotes, 4 figures and 3 tables.)
US Department of Commerce. 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230. Tel: 202-482-2000; Web site: http://www.commerce.gov
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Department of Commerce, Washington, DC.
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A