Figure WORK 4. Percentage of Adults Age 25 and Over, by Level of Educational Attainment: 1960-2001
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Educational Attainment in the United States: March 2001,” Current Population Reports, Series PPL-157, February 2002, and earlier reports.
- There has been a marked decline over the past 40 years in the percentage of the population who has not earned a high school diploma. This percentage fell from 59 percent in 1960 to 16 percent in 2001.
- The percentage of the population receiving a high school education only (with no subsequent college) was 25 percent in 1960 and rose to 39 percent in 1988. Since then this figure has fallen to 33 percent, although some of this decline is a result of a change in the survey methodology in 1992 (see note to Table WORK 4).
- Between 1960 and 1990, the percentage of the population with some college (one to three years) doubled, from 9 percent to 18 percent. The apparent jump in 1992 is a result of a change in the survey methodology (see note to Table WORK 4), but the trend continued upward, reaching nearly 26 percent in 2001.
- The percentage of the population completing four or more years of college more than tripled from 1960 to 2001, rising steadily from 8 percent to 26 percent.
Table WORK 4. Percentage of Adults Age 25 and Over, by Level of Educational Attainment: Selected Years
| Not a High School Graduate | Finished High School, No College | One to Three Years of College | Four or More Years of College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note: Completing the GED is not considered completing high school for this table. Beginning with data for 1992, a new survey question results in different categories than for prior years. Data shown as Finished High School, No College was previously from the category “High School, 4 years” and is now from the category “High School Graduate.” Data shown as One to Three Years of College was previously from the category “College 1 to 3 years” and is now the sum of the categories: “Some College” and two separate “Associate Degree” categories. Data shown as Four or More Years of College was previously from the category “College 4 years or more,” and is now the sum of the categories: “Bachelor's Degree,” “Master's Degree,” “Doctorate Degree,” and “Professional Degree.” Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Educational Attainment in the United States: March 2001,” Current Population Reports, Series PPL-157, February 2002, and earlier reports. |
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| 1940 | 76 | 14 | 5 | 5 |
| 1950 | 67 | 20 | 7 | 6 |
| 1960 | 59 | 25 | 9 | 8 |
| 1965 | 51 | 31 | 9 | 9 |
| 1970 | 45 | 34 | 10 | 11 |
| 1975 | 37 | 36 | 12 | 14 |
| 1980 | 31 | 37 | 15 | 17 |
| 1981 | 30 | 38 | 15 | 17 |
| 1982 | 29 | 38 | 15 | 18 |
| 1983 | 28 | 38 | 16 | 19 |
| 1984 | 27 | 38 | 16 | 19 |
| 1985 | 26 | 38 | 16 | 19 |
| 1986 | 25 | 38 | 17 | 19 |
| 1987 | 24 | 39 | 17 | 20 |
| 1988 | 24 | 39 | 17 | 20 |
| 1989 | 23 | 38 | 17 | 21 |
| 1990 | 22 | 38 | 18 | 21 |
| 1991 | 22 | 39 | 18 | 21 |
| 1992 | 21 | 36 | 22 | 21 |
| 1993 | 20 | 35 | 23 | 22 |
| 1994 | 19 | 34 | 24 | 22 |
| 1995 | 18 | 34 | 25 | 23 |
| 1996 | 18 | 34 | 25 | 24 |
| 1997 | 18 | 34 | 24 | 24 |
| 1998 | 17 | 34 | 25 | 24 |
| 1999 | 17 | 33 | 25 | 25 |
| 2000 | 16 | 33 | 25 | 26 |
| 2001 | 16 | 33 | 26 | 26 |
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