Educational Outcomes

Educational Attainment

Americans are completing more years of education. The percentage of the adult population 25 years of age and older who completed high school or more was 87 percent in 2010, compared to 84 percent in 2000. During the same time period, the percentage of adults with a bachelor's or higher degree increased from 26 percent to 30 percent.

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Table 30. Percentage of persons 25 years and older who completed various years of school: Selected years, 1970 through 2010
Year	25 years old and older			25- to 29-year-olds
	High school completion or higher	Bachelor's or higher degree		High school completion or higher	Bachelor's or higher degree
1970	55.2	11.0		75.4	16.4
1980	68.6	17.0		85.4	22.5
1985	73.9	19.4		86.1	22.2
1990	77.6	21.3		85.7	23.2
1995	81.7	23.0		86.8	24.7
2000	84.1	25.6		88.1	29.1
2003	84.6	27.2		86.5	28.4
2004	85.2	27.7		86.6	28.7
2005	85.2	27.6		86.2	28.8
2006	85.5	28.0		86.4	28.4
2007	85.7	28.7		87.0	29.6
2008	86.6	29.4		87.8	30.8
2009	86.7	29.5		88.6	30.6
2010	87.1	29.9		88.8	31.7
NOTE: High school completers include those earning a high school diploma or an equivalency credential such as a GED.