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Population Characteristics and Economic Outcomes

Educational Attainment of Young Adults

Last Updated: May 2023
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Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school increased by 19 percentage points (from 69 percent to 88 percent). Between 2010 and 2022, the gap in educational attainment rates between White and Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds narrowed for those who had completed at least high school, an associate’s or higher degree, and a bachelors or higher degree.
Educational attainment is the level of education completed by the time of the survey (reported here as at least high school completion,1 an associate’s or higher degree, a bachelor’s or higher degree, or a master’s or higher degree). Between 2010 and 2022, educational attainment rates among 25- to 29-year-olds increased at each attainment level. During this period, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school increased from 89 to 95 percent, the percentage with an associate’s or higher degree increased from 41 to 49 percent, the percentage with a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 32 to 40 percent, and the percentage with a master’s or higher degree increased from 7 to 10 percent. Although educational attainment rates increased over this period for both males and females and among most racial/ethnic groups, attainment gaps persisted in 2022.

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Race/ethnicity
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All available findings Sex or gender Time series
Attainment and Attainment Gaps by Race/Ethnicity
Figure 1. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2022
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data were collected in March of each year and are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. High school completion includes those who graduated from high school with a diploma as well as those who completed high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 104.20.

In 2022, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school was higher for those who were Asian (99 percent) than for those who were White (97 percent), Black (95 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (92 percent), and Hispanic (88 percent). In addition, the percentage was lower for those who were Hispanic than for those who were White, of Two or more races (97 percent), and Black.
Between 2010 and 2022, the percentages who had completed at least high school increased for those who were
  • White (from 95 to 97 percent);
  • Asian (from 94 to 99 percent);
  • Black (from 90 to 95 percent); and
  • Hispanic (from 69 to 88 percent).
In addition, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds of Two or more races who had completed at least high school was higher in 2022 (97 percent) than in 2010 (89 percent), although there was no consistent trend between 2010 and 2022. The percentages of those who were Pacific Islander (90 percent) and American Indian/Alaska Native (92 percent) who had completed at least high school in 2022 were not measurably different from the corresponding percentages in 2010. [Time series ]
Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school generally remained higher for those who were Asian and White than for those who were Black or Hispanic. The gap in high school completion between Asian and Black 25- to 29-year-olds was 4 percentage points in both 2010 and 2022. However, the White-Black, Asian-Hispanic, and White-Hispanic high school completion gaps all narrowed. Specifically, between 2010 and 2022,
  • the White-Black high school completion gap changed from 5 percentage points to no measurable gap;
  • the Asian-Hispanic high school completion gap narrowed from 25 to 11 percentage points; and
  • the White-Hispanic high school completion gap narrowed from 25 to 9 percentage points.
The narrowing of the Asian-Hispanic and White-Hispanic gaps was primarily due to the increase in the percentage of those who were Hispanic who had completed at least high school. [Time series ]
Figure 2. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed an associate’s or higher degree, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data were collected in March of each year and are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 104.20.

Compared to the racial/ethnic gaps in the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who completed at least high school in 2022, the gaps in postsecondary degree attainment were generally larger. The percentage of those who attained any postsecondary degree (i.e., associate’s or higher) was at least 22 percentage points higher for those who were Asian (78 percent) than for those of any other racial/ethnic group. In addition, the percentage was at least 20 percentage points higher for those who were White (56 percent) than for those who were Pacific Islander (36 percent), Black (36 percent), Hispanic (34 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (19 percent). The percentage who attained any postsecondary degree was more than 10 percentage points higher in 2022 for those who were Two or more races (48 percent) than for those who were Black (36 percent) and Hispanic (34 percent).
From 2010 to 2022, the percentages who had attained an associate’s or higher degree increased for those who were
  • Black (from 29 to 36 percent);
  • White (from 49 to 56 percent);
  • Hispanic (from 20 to 34 percent); and
  • Asian (from 63 to 78 percent).
There was no measurable difference in the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained an associate’s or higher degree in 2022 compared to 2010 for those who were American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or of Two or more races. [Time series ]
The Asian-Black and Asian-White gaps in the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained an associate’s or higher degree each increased by about 8 percentage points throughout this period. Meanwhile, the White-Hispanic gap narrowed over this period (from 28 to 22 percentage points). [Time series ]
Figure 3. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed a bachelor’s or higher degree, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
X
Embed this figure

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data were collected in March of each year and are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 104.20.

Similar to the pattern for associate’s degrees, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2022 was highest for those who were Asian (72 percent), followed by those who were White (45 percent).
From 2010 to 2022, the percentages who had attained a bachelor’s or higher degree increased for those who were
  • White (from 39 to 45 percent);
  • Black (from 19 to 28 percent);
  • Hispanic (from 13 to 25 percent); and
  • Asian (from 56 to 72 percent).
In addition, the percentage was higher in 2022 than in 2010 for those who were Pacific Islander (28 vs. 10 percent). The percentages who were American Indian/Alaska Native and of Two or more races who had attained a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2022 were not measurably different from the corresponding percentages in 2010. [Time series ]
The White-Hispanic gap in the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained a bachelor’s or higher degree narrowed over this period (from 25 to 20 percentage points). Meanwhile, the gap between Asian 25- to 29-year-olds and their White peers at this level of attainment increased by 9 percentage points. [Time series ]
Figure 4. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed a master’s or higher degree, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2022
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Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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† Not applicable.

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data were collected in March of each year and are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 104.20.

The percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained a master’s or higher degree in 2022 was higher for those who were Asian (31 percent) than for those who were White (11 percent), Two or more races (9 percent), Black (6 percent), and Hispanic (4 percent).2 In addition, the percentage was higher for those who were White than for those who were Black or Hispanic.
From 2010 to 2022, the percentages who had attained a master’s or higher degree increased for those who were
  • Hispanic (from 2 to 4 percent);
  • White (from 8 to 11 percent); and
  • Asian (from 19 to 31 percent).
Among those who were Black and of Two or more races, the percentages who had attained a master’s or higher degree in 2022 were not measurably different from the corresponding percentages in 2010. [Time series ]
In contrast to the gaps at lower attainment levels, the White-Hispanic gap in the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had attained a master’s or higher degree widened over this period (from 5 to 7 percentage points). In addition, the gap between Asian 25- to 29-year-olds and their Black, Hispanic, and White peers widened at this level of attainment between 2010 and 2022: the Asian-Black gap widened from 14 to 25 percentage points; the Asian-Hispanic gap widened from 17 to 27 percentage points; and the Asian-White gap widened from 11 to 19 percentage points. [Time series ]
Figure 5. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds, by educational attainment and sex: 2010 and 2022
Hover, click, and tap to see more for all figures on this page.
Users can select any combination of available years and categories in any figure format (i.e., bar or table). The initial selection of years and categories may not be optimal in different views.
Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
X
Embed this figure

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Data were collected in March of each year and are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. High school completion includes those who graduated from high school with a diploma as well as those who completed high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 and 2022. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 104.20.

Between 2010 and 2022, educational attainment rates increased for both female and male 25- to 29-year-olds across all educational attainment levels. During this period, attainment rates were generally higher for females than for males. [Time series ] [Sex or gender]
Differences between the educational attainment rates for females and males (also referred to in this indicator as the gender gap3) were also observed within racial/ethnic groups4 in 2022. Gender gaps did not exist for all racial/ethnic groups at all levels of educational attainment in 2022, but where they did, they reflected higher attainment rates for female 25- to 29-year-olds than for their male peers. Specifically, the Black gender gap was
  • 9 percentage points for those with an associate’s or higher degree;
  • 8 percentage points for those with a bachelor’s or higher degree; and
  • 5 percentage points for those with a master’s or higher degree.5
The Hispanic gender gap was
  • 4 percentage points for those who had completed at least high school;
  • 11 percentage points for those with an associate’s or higher degree;
  • 8 percentage points for those with a bachelor’s or higher degree; and
  • 3 percentage points for those with a master’s or higher degree.
The White gender gap was
  • 13 percentage points for those with an associate’s or higher degree;
  • 11 percentage points for those with a bachelor’s or higher degree; and
  • 8 percentage points for those with a master’s or higher degree.6
Additionally, a gender gap was observed for those of Two or more races with an associate’s or higher degree (19 percentage points).7 However, there was no measurable gender gap in 2022 for those who were Asian at any attainment level or for those who were American Indian/Alaska Native with a high school or higher degree.8 [Sex or gender]

1 High school completion includes those who graduated from high school with a diploma as well as those who completed high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program.

2 Those who were Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native who attained a master’s or higher degree are not included in this comparison because the sample sizes in 2022 were too small to provide reliable estimates.

3 Although this indicator uses the common phrase, “gender gap,” data come from the Current Population Survey, which asks respondents to report sex (male or female).

4 Those who were Pacific Islander are not included in this comparison because sample sizes in 2022 were too small to provide reliable estimates.

5 A gender gap was not observed at the attainment level of at least high school completion for those who were Black.

6 A gender gap was not observed at the attainment level of at least high school completion for those who were White.

7 Those of Two or more races who attained a master’s or higher degree are not included in this comparison because sample sizes in 2022 were too small to provide reliable estimates.

8 Those who were American Indian/Alaska Native who attained an associate’s or higher degree, a bachelor’s or higher degree, and a master’s or higher degree are not included in this comparison because sample sizes in 2022 were too small to provide reliable estimates.

Supplemental Information

Indicator and Resources icon
Disability Rates and Employment Status by Educational Attainment [The Condition of Education 2017 Spotlight]
Indicator and Resources icon
Educational Attainment [Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups]
Indicator and Resources icon
Indicator and Resources icon
Snapshot: Attainment of a Bachelor's or Higher Degree for Racial/Ethnic Subgroups [Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups]
Indicator and Resources icon
Trends in Employment Rates by Educational Attainment [The Condition of Education 2013 Spotlight]
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Table 104.20 (Digest 2022): Percentage of persons 25 to 29 years old with selected levels of educational attainment, by race/ethnicity and sex: Selected years, 1920 through 2022
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Associate’s degree Bachelor’s degree Educational attainment (Current Population Survey) Gap High school completer High school diploma Master’s degree Postsecondary education Racial/ethnic group
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Educational Attainment - April 2014
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Educational Attainment - April 2013
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Educational Attainment of Young Adults. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/caa.
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