Census: Americans Make Education Gains

More Americans are more educated than ever, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 2004 American Community Survey reflects the trend toward a more educated populace. It shows declines in those who do not finish high school and increases in those who earn associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate or professional degrees.

Despite the inclination toward education, the level of educational attainment is uneven across the USA. The new figures show that 47.7% of people age 25 and older in Washington, D.C., have at least a bachelor’s degree, but only 16.3% in West Virginia do.

Nationally, nearly 1 in 10 – 9.9% – of those age 25 and older have a graduate or professional degree compared with 9% in the same survey from 2000. Those with bachelor’s degrees increased from 16% to 17.2%; those with an associate’s degree increased from 6.5% to 7.1%.

Heath Brown, director of research and policy analysis for the Council of Graduate Schools, says the Census figures are consistent with annual surveys by his association of higher-education graduate programs.

“Whether it’s a master’s, doctorate or professional degree, all three are demanded at an increasing rate in the workplace,” he says. “The master’s degree and up is really the bachelor’s degree of 30 years ago. It now is the entry degree in some fields.”

The 2004 data show that Washington, D.C.’s figure of 47.7% with a bachelor’s degree was a jump from 39.1% in 2000. Massachusetts follows with 37.4%, compared with 33.2% in 2000. West Virginia’s rate of 16.3% is up from 14.8% in 2000. Nationally, 27% of those ages 25 and over had a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 25% in 2000.

The 2004 household survey is based on information from 800,000 addresses sampled during the survey period.

There also are more high school graduates. Of those age 25 and older, 83.9% in 2004 had a high school diploma or higher, compared with 81.6% in 2000. Only 9.8% had not completed high school, compared with 11.5% in 2000.

“People understand more and more how critical it is to be well educated if you’re going to thrive in the emerging economy,” says Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents more than 60 urban school districts nationwide.

Today’s global, high-tech economy has made advanced degrees increasingly important, says David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, an umbrella organization for higher-education groups.

“Most undergraduates now view their undergraduate degree as their general education,” he says. “Very few undergraduate degrees prepare you precisely for a job.”

Figures on school enrollment mirror the demographics of the baby boomlet, reflecting growth in high school and college and decline at the kindergarten and elementary school levels. Of those ages 3 and older enrolled in school, 23.4% were in college or graduate school in 2004, up from 21.5% in 2000. Another 43.1% were in elementary school, down from 45.4% in 2000.

Other areas of the report show a continuation of long-term trends:

-Incremental declines in married couples, married couples with children and unmarried women giving birth.

-Incremental increases in unmarried partner households, householders living alone and non-family households.