Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2019 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 501.40. Percentage distribution of 25- to 34-year-olds with various levels of educational attainment, by labor force status, sex, race/ethnicity, and U.S. nativity and citizenship status: 2018
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Sex, race/ethnicity, and U.S.
nativity and citizenship status
All 25- to 34-year-olds Less than high school completion High school completion1 Some college, no bachelor's degree2 Bachelor's or higher degree
In labor force Not in labor force In labor force Not in
labor force
In labor force Not in
labor force
In labor force Not in
labor force
In labor force Not in
labor force
Employed Unemployed
(seeking
employment)
Employed Unemployed
(seeking
employment)
Employed Unemployed
(seeking
employment)
Employed Unemployed
(seeking
employment)
Employed Unemployed
(seeking
employment)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Total3 79.0   (0.07) 4.2   (0.04) 16.8   (0.06) 56.4   (0.33) 6.9   (0.18) 36.6   (0.32) 71.4   (0.19) 6.0   (0.10) 22.6   (0.16) 80.3   (0.14) 4.4   (0.08) 15.3   (0.12) 88.2   (0.10) 2.3   (0.05) 9.4   (0.09)

Sex
                                                                                         
Male 82.9   (0.11) 4.5   (0.06) 12.6   (0.09) 65.9   (0.44) 6.5   (0.23) 27.6   (0.39) 77.1   (0.25) 5.9   (0.12) 17.0   (0.21) 84.7   (0.22) 4.4   (0.12) 10.9   (0.18) 91.5   (0.13) 2.6   (0.08) 5.9   (0.12)
Female 75.0   (0.10) 4.0   (0.05) 21.0   (0.10) 43.3   (0.44) 7.5   (0.30) 49.1   (0.48) 63.7   (0.28) 6.1   (0.14) 30.2   (0.27) 76.0   (0.17) 4.4   (0.10) 19.6   (0.16) 85.6   (0.14) 2.1   (0.06) 12.4   (0.14)

Race/ethnicity
                                                                                         
White 81.7   (0.10) 3.4   (0.05) 14.8   (0.09) 52.1   (0.63) 7.8   (0.33) 40.1   (0.58) 73.1   (0.25) 5.2   (0.12) 21.8   (0.23) 81.4   (0.18) 3.6   (0.09) 15.0   (0.16) 90.0   (0.11) 1.9   (0.06) 8.1   (0.10)
Black 72.8   (0.24) 7.6   (0.17) 19.6   (0.18) 39.3   (1.04) 11.5   (0.72) 49.2   (0.96) 64.3   (0.52) 9.6   (0.28) 26.1   (0.48) 78.9   (0.46) 7.2   (0.30) 13.9   (0.33) 88.6   (0.40) 3.8   (0.24) 7.6   (0.33)
Hispanic 76.8   (0.17) 4.4   (0.08) 18.8   (0.16) 65.6   (0.50) 4.8   (0.24) 29.6   (0.47) 73.8   (0.32) 5.1   (0.16) 21.0   (0.28) 79.9   (0.32) 4.3   (0.19) 15.7   (0.27) 87.9   (0.40) 2.7   (0.16) 9.4   (0.35)
Asian 77.7   (0.28) 3.2   (0.11) 19.2   (0.28) 61.5   (1.50) 3.5   (0.67) 34.9   (1.39) 71.9   (1.14) 4.1   (0.49) 24.0   (1.13) 76.3   (0.85) 3.6   (0.35) 20.2   (0.75) 80.0   (0.34) 2.9   (0.13) 17.1   (0.34)
Pacific Islander 75.5   (1.84) 4.0   (0.75) 20.5   (1.67) 51.7   (7.05)   (†) 45.6   (7.03) 75.5   (2.81) 6.9   (1.67) 17.6   (2.56) 74.8   (3.57) 2.8 ! (0.95) 22.4   (3.39) 89.1   (3.29)   (†) 8.9 ! (2.86)
American Indian/Alaska Native4 64.0   (0.88) 7.6   (0.48) 28.4   (1.02) 35.8   (2.93) 12.7   (1.86) 51.5   (2.65) 57.2   (1.58) 9.5   (0.97) 33.3   (1.87) 74.0   (1.41) 5.8   (0.79) 20.2   (1.31) 81.7   (2.54) 2.2 ! (0.75) 16.0   (2.46)
American Indian 64.9   (0.96) 7.6   (0.55) 27.5   (1.13) 39.4   (3.54) 12.5   (2.14) 48.2   (3.31) 58.7   (1.71) 9.5   (1.11) 31.8   (1.91) 73.5   (1.56) 5.8   (0.78) 20.7   (1.49) 81.8   (2.51) 2.8 ! (0.94) 15.3   (2.49)
Alaska Native 48.9   (4.01) 12.3   (2.85) 38.8   (3.98) 16.1 ! (6.05) 16.1 ! (7.26) 67.7   (8.45) 54.7   (5.63) 11.7   (2.86) 33.6   (5.10) 60.7   (8.38)   (†) 24.7 ! (8.11)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Two or more races 77.9   (0.54) 5.1   (0.30) 16.9   (0.46) 48.4   (2.91) 11.8   (1.71) 39.8   (2.76) 68.6   (1.25) 7.5   (0.74) 23.9   (1.22) 77.2   (0.94) 5.1   (0.50) 17.7   (0.75) 87.6   (0.65) 3.0   (0.31) 9.4   (0.54)

Race/ethnicity by sex
                                                                                         
Male                                                                                          
White 85.5   (0.13) 3.8   (0.07) 10.7   (0.12) 60.9   (0.75) 8.1   (0.48) 31.0   (0.68) 79.1   (0.30) 5.2   (0.16) 15.7   (0.28) 86.7   (0.22) 3.6   (0.13) 9.7   (0.20) 92.7   (0.15) 2.3   (0.08) 5.0   (0.13)
Black 70.3   (0.40) 7.8   (0.27) 21.9   (0.36) 35.7   (1.39) 9.5   (0.79) 54.9   (1.24) 62.9   (0.70) 9.5   (0.41) 27.6   (0.68) 79.1   (0.68) 7.4   (0.46) 13.5   (0.50) 88.9   (0.67) 4.4   (0.39) 6.7   (0.59)
Hispanic 84.3   (0.21) 4.3   (0.13) 11.4   (0.18) 80.1   (0.53) 4.3   (0.25) 15.7   (0.47) 82.8   (0.41) 5.0   (0.22) 12.2   (0.39) 85.2   (0.48) 4.2   (0.28) 10.6   (0.38) 91.5   (0.47) 2.9   (0.24) 5.5   (0.37)
Asian 84.8   (0.33) 3.3   (0.16) 11.9   (0.32) 73.9   (2.18) 4.8   (1.18) 21.3   (1.95) 80.0   (1.19) 4.3   (0.61) 15.7   (1.15) 80.0   (1.05) 3.9   (0.44) 16.1   (0.97) 87.8   (0.41) 2.9   (0.21) 9.4   (0.42)
Pacific Islander 83.7   (2.02) 3.0   (0.77) 13.3   (1.76) 66.6   (7.35)   (†) 30.6   (6.82) 86.6   (2.90) 4.9 ! (1.61) 8.5 ! (2.64) 83.6   (4.78)   (†) 15.2   (4.55) 90.4   (4.85)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native4 65.2   (1.20) 8.0   (0.72) 26.8   (1.33) 40.3   (4.19) 11.1   (2.19) 48.6   (3.90) 59.7   (2.18) 9.2   (1.16) 31.1   (2.28) 78.3   (1.89) 6.9   (1.25) 14.8   (1.57) 79.2   (4.30)   (†) 19.3   (4.33)
American Indian 66.6   (1.40) 8.3   (0.81) 25.0   (1.45) 42.9   (4.78) 11.8   (2.68) 45.4   (4.31) 60.6   (2.40) 9.6   (1.30) 29.9   (2.34) 78.2   (2.09) 7.2   (1.38) 14.7   (1.68) 84.6   (3.54)   (†) 13.4   (3.57)
Alaska Native 51.1   (5.35) 8.3   (2.11) 40.6   (5.45) 17.9 ! (6.36) 17.1 ! (5.60) 64.9   (8.34) 58.4   (7.79) 5.8 ! (2.54) 35.8   (7.22)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Two or more races 80.1   (0.72) 5.8   (0.46) 14.1   (0.62) 52.3   (3.34) 11.2   (2.15) 36.5   (3.18) 73.2   (1.68) 8.1   (1.14) 18.7   (1.51) 80.1   (1.29) 5.6   (0.79) 14.3   (1.09) 89.8   (0.92) 3.4   (0.56) 6.7   (0.82)
Female                                                                                          
White 77.9   (0.14) 3.1   (0.07) 19.0   (0.14) 40.1   (0.89) 7.4   (0.45) 52.5   (0.84) 64.1   (0.36) 5.2   (0.20) 30.8   (0.37) 76.1   (0.27) 3.6   (0.11) 20.4   (0.26) 87.8   (0.17) 1.6   (0.07) 10.6   (0.17)
Black 75.2   (0.33) 7.4   (0.20) 17.4   (0.27) 44.4   (1.38) 14.4   (1.22) 41.2   (1.36) 66.0   (0.78) 9.8   (0.44) 24.2   (0.69) 78.8   (0.63) 6.9   (0.39) 14.2   (0.50) 88.3   (0.49) 3.5   (0.30) 8.2   (0.40)
Hispanic 68.7   (0.30) 4.4   (0.13) 26.9   (0.29) 45.2   (0.80) 5.5   (0.45) 49.3   (0.83) 62.1   (0.55) 5.3   (0.31) 32.5   (0.53) 75.0   (0.46) 4.4   (0.24) 20.6   (0.41) 85.1   (0.54) 2.4   (0.21) 12.5   (0.50)
Asian 71.0   (0.46) 3.0   (0.19) 26.0   (0.46) 49.2   (2.40) 2.2 ! (0.79) 48.5   (2.30) 62.8   (1.85) 3.8   (0.70) 33.4   (1.85) 72.5   (1.11) 3.3   (0.50) 24.2   (1.03) 73.1   (0.53) 2.9   (0.22) 24.0   (0.50)
Pacific Islander 66.8   (2.93) 5.1   (1.25) 28.0   (2.79) 30.1 ! (12.45)   (†) 67.3   (12.63) 60.8   (4.83) 9.6 ! (3.17) 29.7   (4.64) 66.5   (5.15) 4.3 ! (1.67) 29.2   (5.03) 88.3   (4.02)   (†) 10.0 ! (3.61)
American Indian/Alaska Native4 62.8   (1.40) 7.2   (0.69) 30.0   (1.42) 30.5   (4.53) 14.6   (3.35) 54.9   (4.49) 53.8   (2.53) 9.9   (1.63) 36.3   (2.82) 70.4   (2.20) 4.9   (1.02) 24.7   (2.01) 83.1   (2.84) 2.6 ! (1.02) 14.3   (2.57)
American Indian 63.2   (1.42) 6.8   (0.70) 29.9   (1.45) 35.2   (5.35) 13.3   (3.52) 51.5   (5.29) 56.3   (2.56) 9.3   (1.82) 34.4   (2.75) 69.4   (2.38) 4.6   (0.93) 26.0   (2.30) 80.5   (3.25) 3.2 ! (1.22) 16.3   (3.10)
Alaska Native 46.5   (6.27) 16.7   (4.94) 36.8   (6.69)   (†)   (†)   (†) 48.2   (7.29) 21.9   (5.32) 29.9   (7.34) 54.4   (11.02)   (†) 29.3 ! (10.82)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Two or more races 75.8   (0.73) 4.5   (0.35) 19.7   (0.70) 41.7   (4.80) 12.8   (2.90) 45.5   (4.91) 63.0   (2.21) 6.7   (1.04) 30.3   (2.08) 74.4   (1.33) 4.6   (0.63) 21.0   (1.12) 85.7   (1.00) 2.6   (0.42) 11.7   (0.83)

Nativity
                                                                                         
Hispanic                                                                                          
U.S.-born5 77.4   (0.22) 5.0   (0.11) 17.6   (0.19) 56.9   (0.81) 7.1   (0.44) 36.0   (0.76) 73.0   (0.42) 6.2   (0.22) 20.8   (0.43) 79.9   (0.39) 4.7   (0.23) 15.4   (0.32) 89.8   (0.43) 2.6   (0.19) 7.5   (0.38)
Foreign-born 75.8   (0.31) 3.2   (0.13) 20.9   (0.29) 70.6   (0.59) 3.5   (0.26) 25.9   (0.55) 75.3   (0.53) 3.3   (0.21) 21.4   (0.51) 79.9   (0.61) 3.2   (0.27) 16.9   (0.59) 83.0   (0.78) 2.7   (0.27) 14.3   (0.75)
Asian                                                                                          
U.S.-born5 83.6   (0.48) 3.5   (0.19) 12.8   (0.44) 51.6   (3.91) 5.2 ! (1.99) 43.2   (3.65) 72.5   (1.58) 6.0   (0.94) 21.5   (1.50) 80.6   (1.13) 3.8   (0.48) 15.6   (1.03) 87.8   (0.52) 2.9   (0.26) 9.3   (0.47)
Foreign-born 74.6   (0.35) 3.0   (0.15) 22.5   (0.35) 64.0   (1.63) 3.1   (0.69) 32.9   (1.56) 71.6   (1.43) 3.1   (0.46) 25.3   (1.41) 72.8   (1.11) 3.4   (0.46) 23.9   (1.02) 76.2   (0.42) 2.9   (0.16) 20.9   (0.43)

Citizenship status
                                                                                         
U.S.-born citizen 79.7   (0.08) 4.4   (0.04) 15.9   (0.08) 49.8   (0.44) 8.7   (0.25) 41.5   (0.42) 71.0   (0.22) 6.4   (0.11) 22.5   (0.20) 80.7   (0.15) 4.4   (0.07) 14.9   (0.13) 90.3   (0.10) 2.2   (0.06) 7.5   (0.08)
Naturalized citizen 80.7   (0.35) 3.5   (0.17) 15.8   (0.34) 68.2   (1.37) 3.0   (0.44) 28.7   (1.36) 75.0   (0.86) 3.4   (0.34) 21.7   (0.82) 80.3   (0.67) 4.2   (0.33) 15.4   (0.63) 86.4   (0.50) 3.2   (0.25) 10.5   (0.50)
Noncitizen 72.6   (0.25) 3.3   (0.12) 24.1   (0.24) 68.7   (0.52) 3.8   (0.27) 27.5   (0.49) 73.3   (0.48) 3.5   (0.27) 23.2   (0.46) 73.6   (0.72) 3.8   (0.31) 22.6   (0.62) 74.3   (0.43) 2.6   (0.13) 23.2   (0.43)
†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.
1 Data are for all persons with high school completion as their highest level of education, including those with equivalency credentials, such as the GED credential.
2 Includes persons with no college degree as well as those with an associate's degree.
3 Total includes other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately.
4 Includes persons reporting American Indian alone, persons reporting Alaska Native alone, and persons from American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribes specified or not specified.
5 Includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.
NOTE: Estimates are for the entire civilian population in the given age range, including persons living in households and persons living in group quarters (e.g., college residence halls, residential treatment centers, or correctional facilities). The labor force consists of all employed persons plus those seeking employment. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2018. (This table was prepared April 2020.)

2019 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest