What Percent of Americans Have a College Degree?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the 2002 American Community Survey, 52.7 percent of Americans have some college education, but only 27.2 percent have actually obtained a degree. This is due in part to people dropping out of school and to the fact that some colleges, such as many acting or art schools, offer alternative education that ends on a diploma or certification, rather than a degree. This 27 percent puts people at a disadvantage compared to other industrialized countries, such as Netherlands and Finland, where the percentage of people who have a degree is much higher–34 and 40 percent, respectively.

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While 27 percent may seem like a small percentage, the numbers get even smaller when talking about higher education. According to the same survey, only 8.9 percent of Americans have a Masters’ Degree and only 3 percent have earned a PhD. While these numbers are still low, they have been increasing significantly over the past 50 years. In the 1940s, for example, only five percent of the American population had a Bachelor’s Degree.

The number of college degrees varies significantly depending on geographical location, sex, and race. States on the East Coast have the higher percentage of college graduates, with the exception of the top spot, which is taken by the District of Columbia, where 42.5 percent of the population has a college degree. The next spots are taken by Massachusetts (with 35.5 percent), Colorado (33.5 percent) and Maryland (33.1 percent). On the other end of the spectrum are West Virginia, with the lowest percentage (16.1), followed by Mississippi (17.7) and Nevada (18.6).

For the past two decades, women have surpassed men when it comes to the number of college degrees earned. In 2006, over 60 percent of all college degrees were earned by women, and the numbers are expected to get higher over the next decade. When it comes to race, differences among races are significant, especially at the Bachelor’s or higher level. Asian-Americans hold the highest percentage of degrees (50.1 percent), followed by whites (37.6 percent), African Americans (25.4 percent) and Latinos (9.8 percent). Among all groups, those born in the US have earned more degrees than those who came to the country during their childhood or later. These numbers only take into consideration people who are legal residents of the US. Illegal aliens constitute a negligible amount of college graduates, just under 1 percent.

While having a college degree plays an important part in getting out of poverty and improving social class, it is important to note that those in middle class or higher are more likely to earn a college degree in the first place. Both the lower middle class and the working class come out equally at 30 percent of all the college degrees earned in an average year. The working poor, on the other hand, earn only 12 percent of all college degrees. They are also the most likely to obtain just an Associate , rather than a higher degree.

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