| |
Total1 |
|
White |
|
Black |
|
Hispanic |
|
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
Educational attainment
and year |
Total |
Male |
Female |
|
Total |
Male |
Female |
|
Total |
Male |
|
Female |
|
Total |
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
|
Total |
Male |
Female |
High school diploma
or equivalent2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1971 |
77.7 |
79.0 |
76.5 |
|
81.7 |
83.0 |
80.5 |
|
58.7 |
56.7 |
|
60.5 |
|
48.3 |
|
51.4 |
|
45.8 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1975 |
83.1 |
84.5 |
81.8 |
|
86.6 |
88.0 |
85.2 |
|
71.1 |
72.3 |
|
70.1 |
|
53.1 |
|
52.2 |
|
53.9 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1980 |
85.4 |
85.4 |
85.5 |
|
89.2 |
89.1 |
89.2 |
|
76.7 |
74.7 |
|
78.3 |
|
58.0 |
|
57.0 |
|
58.9 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1985 |
86.1 |
85.9 |
86.4 |
|
89.5 |
89.2 |
89.9 |
|
80.5 |
80.6 |
|
80.5 |
|
60.9 |
|
58.6 |
|
63.1 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1990 |
85.7 |
84.4 |
87.0 |
|
90.1 |
88.6 |
91.7 |
|
81.7 |
81.4 |
|
82.0 |
|
58.2 |
|
56.6 |
|
59.9 |
|
|
89.9 |
95.3 |
85.1 |
| 1995 |
86.8 |
86.3 |
87.4 |
|
92.5 |
92.0 |
93.0 |
|
86.7 |
88.4 |
|
85.3 |
|
57.1 |
|
55.7 |
|
58.7 |
|
|
90.8 |
90.5 |
91.2 |
| 2000 |
88.1 |
86.7 |
89.4 |
|
94.0 |
92.9 |
95.2 |
|
86.8 |
87.6 |
|
86.2 |
|
62.8 |
|
59.2 |
|
66.4 |
|
|
93.7 |
92.1 |
95.2 |
| 2005 |
86.1 |
84.9 |
87.3 |
|
92.8 |
91.8 |
93.8 |
|
86.9 |
86.6 |
|
87.3 |
|
63.3 |
|
63.2 |
|
63.3 |
|
|
95.6 |
96.8 |
94.5 |
| 2006 |
86.4 |
84.4 |
88.5 |
|
93.4 |
92.3 |
94.6 |
|
86.3 |
84.2 |
|
88.0 |
|
63.2 |
|
60.5 |
|
66.6 |
|
|
96.4 |
97.2 |
95.6 |
| 2007 |
87.0 |
84.9 |
89.1 |
|
93.5 |
92.7 |
94.2 |
|
87.7 |
87.4 |
|
87.9 |
|
65.0 |
|
60.5 |
|
70.7 |
|
|
96.8 |
95.9 |
97.7 |
| 2008 |
87.8 |
85.8 |
89.9 |
|
93.7 |
92.6 |
94.7 |
|
87.5 |
85.7 |
|
89.2 |
|
68.3 |
|
65.6 |
|
71.9 |
|
|
95.9 |
95.6 |
96.1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Some college3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1971 |
33.9 |
38.5 |
29.4 |
|
36.7 |
41.7 |
31.8 |
|
18.1 |
16.5 |
|
19.5 |
|
14.7 |
|
19.7 |
|
10.5 |
! |
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1975 |
41.6 |
47.4 |
36.0 |
|
44.3 |
50.4 |
38.3 |
|
27.5 |
29.7 |
|
25.8 |
|
21.8 |
|
26.3 |
|
17.6 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1980 |
44.7 |
47.6 |
41.9 |
|
48.0 |
51.1 |
44.9 |
|
32.4 |
32.6 |
|
32.3 |
|
23.2 |
|
25.9 |
|
20.5 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1985 |
43.7 |
44.2 |
43.3 |
|
46.4 |
46.8 |
46.0 |
|
34.4 |
34.2 |
|
34.5 |
|
26.9 |
|
26.9 |
|
27.0 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1990 |
44.5 |
43.7 |
45.3 |
|
48.3 |
47.3 |
49.3 |
|
36.1 |
35.0 |
|
36.9 |
|
23.4 |
|
22.9 |
|
23.9 |
|
|
62.8 |
69.3 |
57.0 |
| 1995 |
54.1 |
52.3 |
55.8 |
|
59.8 |
57.5 |
62.1 |
|
45.1 |
45.3 |
|
44.8 |
|
28.7 |
|
26.7 |
|
30.9 |
|
|
76.4 |
75.4 |
77.6 |
| 2000 |
58.3 |
55.1 |
61.5 |
|
64.1 |
60.5 |
67.7 |
|
52.7 |
50.4 |
|
54.6 |
|
32.8 |
|
29.0 |
|
36.6 |
|
|
78.2 |
79.3 |
77.3 |
| 2005 |
56.7 |
52.1 |
61.4 |
|
64.3 |
59.7 |
68.9 |
|
49.0 |
41.9 |
|
55.1 |
|
32.8 |
|
31.8 |
|
34.0 |
|
|
80.3 |
78.2 |
82.2 |
| 2006 |
57.8 |
53.3 |
62.4 |
|
66.3 |
62.1 |
70.4 |
|
49.9 |
44.8 |
|
54.3 |
|
31.7 |
|
28.3 |
|
35.9 |
|
|
80.9 |
80.0 |
81.8 |
| 2007 |
57.7 |
52.5 |
63.0 |
|
65.6 |
61.1 |
70.0 |
|
50.0 |
45.9 |
|
53.6 |
|
33.9 |
|
28.2 |
|
41.1 |
|
|
80.4 |
78.6 |
82.1 |
| 2008 |
59.2 |
53.9 |
64.8 |
|
67.1 |
62.4 |
71.9 |
|
51.0 |
44.5 |
|
56.7 |
|
35.9 |
|
30.8 |
|
42.5 |
|
|
80.2 |
78.9 |
81.5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bachelor’s degree4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1971 |
17.1 |
20.4 |
13.8 |
|
18.9 |
22.4 |
15.4 |
|
6.7 |
6.9 |
|
6.6 |
|
5.1 |
! |
8.0 |
! |
‡ |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1975 |
21.9 |
25.2 |
18.7 |
|
23.8 |
27.3 |
20.2 |
|
10.5 |
11.1 |
|
10.0 |
|
8.8 |
|
10.4 |
|
7.3 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1980 |
22.5 |
24.0 |
21.0 |
|
25.0 |
26.8 |
23.2 |
|
11.6 |
10.5 |
|
12.4 |
|
7.7 |
|
8.4 |
|
6.9 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1985 |
22.2 |
23.1 |
21.3 |
|
24.4 |
25.5 |
23.3 |
|
11.6 |
10.3 |
|
12.6 |
|
11.1 |
|
10.9 |
|
11.2 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
| 1990 |
23.2 |
23.7 |
22.8 |
|
26.4 |
26.6 |
26.2 |
|
13.4 |
15.1 |
|
11.9 |
|
8.1 |
|
7.3 |
|
9.1 |
|
|
42.2 |
47.6 |
37.4 |
| 1995 |
24.7 |
24.5 |
24.9 |
|
28.8 |
28.4 |
29.2 |
|
15.4 |
17.4 |
|
13.7 |
|
8.9 |
|
7.8 |
|
10.1 |
|
|
43.1 |
42.0 |
44.5 |
| 2000 |
29.1 |
27.9 |
30.1 |
|
34.0 |
32.3 |
35.8 |
|
17.8 |
18.4 |
|
17.4 |
|
9.7 |
|
8.3 |
|
11.0 |
|
|
54.3 |
55.5 |
53.1 |
| 2005 |
28.6 |
25.3 |
32.0 |
|
34.1 |
30.4 |
37.8 |
|
17.5 |
14.3 |
|
20.3 |
|
11.2 |
|
10.2 |
|
12.4 |
|
|
59.9 |
58.4 |
61.3 |
| 2006 |
28.4 |
25.3 |
31.6 |
|
34.3 |
31.4 |
37.2 |
|
18.7 |
15.2 |
|
21.7 |
|
9.5 |
|
6.9 |
|
12.8 |
|
|
59.6 |
58.7 |
60.4 |
| 2007 |
29.6 |
26.3 |
33.0 |
|
35.5 |
31.9 |
39.2 |
|
19.5 |
18.9 |
|
20.0 |
|
11.6 |
|
8.6 |
|
15.4 |
|
|
59.5 |
58.5 |
60.3 |
| 2008 |
30.8 |
26.8 |
34.9 |
|
37.1 |
32.6 |
41.7 |
|
20.4 |
19.0 |
|
21.6 |
|
12.4 |
|
10.0 |
|
15.5 |
|
|
57.9 |
54.1 |
61.6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Master’s degree5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1995 |
4.5 |
4.9 |
4.1 |
|
5.3 |
5.6 |
5.0 |
|
1.8 |
2.2 |
! |
1.4 |
! |
1.6 |
|
2.0 |
! |
1.2 |
! |
|
10.9 |
12.6 |
8.9 |
| 2000 |
5.4 |
4.7 |
6.2 |
|
5.8 |
4.9 |
6.7 |
|
3.7 |
2.1 |
! |
4.9 |
|
2.1 |
|
1.5 |
|
2.7 |
|
|
15.5 |
17.2 |
13.9 |
| 2005 |
6.2 |
5.1 |
7.3 |
|
7.4 |
6.0 |
8.7 |
|
2.6 |
1.1 |
! |
4.0 |
|
2.1 |
|
1.7 |
|
2.5 |
|
|
16.9 |
19.7 |
14.4 |
| 2006 |
6.4 |
5.1 |
7.8 |
|
7.5 |
5.8 |
9.2 |
|
3.2 |
1.7 |
|
4.5 |
|
1.5 |
|
1.1 |
|
2.0 |
|
|
20.1 |
20.5 |
19.7 |
| 2007 |
6.3 |
5.0 |
7.6 |
|
7.6 |
5.7 |
9.4 |
|
3.5 |
3.3 |
|
3.7 |
|
1.5 |
|
0.6 |
|
2.6 |
|
|
17.5 |
18.4 |
16.5 |
| 2008 |
7.0 |
5.3 |
8.7 |
|
8.2 |
5.9 |
10.4 |
|
4.4 |
3.4 |
|
5.2 |
|
2.0 |
|
1.2 |
|
2.9 |
|
|
19.9 |
20.9 |
18.9 |
| — Not available. |
| ! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable). |
| ‡ Reporting standards not met (too few cases). |
| 1 Included in the totals but not shown separately are estimates for those from other racial/ethnic groups. |
| 2 Prior to 1992, high school completers referred to those who completed 12 years of schooling; beginning in 1992, the term referred to those who received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. |
| 3 Prior to 1992, some college meant completing 1 or more years of college; beginning in 1992, the term meant completing any college at all. |
| 4 Data prior to 1992 were for completing 4-years of college; beginning in 1992, data were for earning a bachelor’s degree. |
| 5 Estimates for attainment of a master's degree prior to 1992 are not available. |
| NOTE: Detail many not sum to totals as estimates of educational attainment represent the percentage who achieved at least the cited credential. For more information on educational attainment of 25- to 29-year-olds, see supplemental note 6. For more information on the Current Population Survey (CPS), see supplemental note 2. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. For more information on race/ethnicity, see supplemental note 1. Some estimates are revised from previous publications. |
| SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), March Supplement, selected years 1971–2008. |
