Elementary and Secondary Education

IStudent Effort, Persistence and Progress

Table A-34-1. Percentage of high school completers who were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges the October immediately following high school completion, by family income: 1975–2010

Year	Total	Low income		Middle income	High income	Gap between High income and
Year	Total	Annual	Moving average¹	Middle income	High income	Low income²	Middle income
1975	50.7	31.2	34.8	46.2	64.5	29.7	18.3
1976	48.8	39.3	32.3	40.5	63.0	30.6	22.5
1977	50.6	27.7	32.4	44.2	66.3	33.8	22.0
1978	50.1	31.4	29.8	44.3	64.0	34.2	19.6
1979	49.3	30.5	31.5	43.2	63.2	31.6	19.9

1980	49.3	32.4	32.3	42.5	65.2	32.9	22.8
1981	53.9	33.9	33.0	49.2	67.6	34.6	18.4
1982	50.6	32.8	33.7	41.7	70.9	37.1	29.2
1983	52.7	34.6	34.1	45.2	70.3	36.3	25.1
1984	55.2	34.7	36.4	48.4	74.0	37.6	25.6

1985	57.7	40.2	36.0	50.6	74.6	38.5	24.0
1986	53.8	33.9	36.7	48.5	71.0	34.3	22.6
1987	56.8	36.8	37.5	50.1	73.8	36.3	23.8
1988	58.9	42.5	42.4	54.7	72.8	30.4	18.1
1989	59.6	48.5	45.9	55.3	70.7	24.8	15.3

1990	60.1	46.9	45.0	54.4	76.6	31.6	22.2
1991	62.5	39.5	42.2	58.4	78.2	36.0	19.8
1992	61.9	40.8	43.5	57.1	79.0	35.5	22.0
1993	62.6	50.4	44.7	56.9	79.3	34.6	22.4
1994	61.9	43.3	42.0	57.8	77.9	35.9	20.1

1995	61.9	34.2	42.0	56.0	83.5	41.4	27.4
1996	65.0	48.3	47.0	62.8	78.0	31.0	15.2
1997	67.0	57.0	50.5	60.7	82.2	31.7	21.5
1998	65.6	46.4	50.4	64.7	77.5	27.0	12.8
1999	62.9	48.0	48.0	60.1	75.4	27.4	15.3

2000	63.3	49.7	47.1	59.5	76.9	29.8	17.4
2001	61.8	43.5	48.5	56.6	80.0	31.5	23.5
2002	65.2	52.3	49.2	61.9	78.8	29.5	16.9
2003	63.9	52.0	51.1	59.1	77.9	26.9	18.9
2004	66.7	48.5	51.4	63.2	80.1	28.8	17.0

2005	68.6	53.5	51.0	65.1	81.2	30.2	16.1
2006	66.0	50.9	54.5	61.4	80.7	26.2	19.3
2007	67.2	58.4	55.2	63.3	78.2	23.0	14.8
2008	68.6	55.5	56.0	65.3	81.9	25.9	16.6
2009	70.1	54.1	53.2	66.8	84.2	31.0	17.4
2010	68.1	50.6	52.3	66.8	82.2	29.9	15.5

1 Due to the small sample size for the low-income category, data are subject to relatively large sampling errors. Therefore, moving averages are used to produce more stable estimates. The 3-year moving average is an arithmetic average of the year indicated, the year immediately preceding, and the year immediately following. For 1975 and 2010, a 2-year moving average is used: data for 1975 reflect an average of 1975 and 1976, and data for 2010 reflect an average of 2009 and 2010.
² Refers to the moving average rates for the low-income category.
NOTE: Includes high school completers ages 16–24, who account for about 98 percent of all high school completers in a given year. Before 1992, high school completer referred to those who had completed 12 years of schooling. As of 1992, high school completer refers to those who have received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. Low income refers to the bottom 20 percent of all family incomes, high income refers to the top 20 percent of all family incomes, and middle income refers to the 60 percent in between. For more information on the Current Population Survey (CPS), see Appendix B – Guide to Sources. For more information on educational attainment and family income, see Appendix C – Commonly Used Measures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement, 1975–2010.

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