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The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its report on Educational Attainment in the United States. Educational attainment is still far from equal among Americans, but the percentage of the population graduating from high school and college appears to be rising steadily. The report is primarily based on two sources, the 2007 American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey. It provides data for educational attainment by demographics such as age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. While the report shows many positive trends in education, some of the information reveals shocking gaps in educational attainment. Read on for some of the highlights of the report.

1. Overall, educational attainment has risen in the past decade. In 2007 at least 4/5  of adults reported earning at least a high school diploma or equivalent. This number has tripled since 1940. 84% of the population aged 25 and over earned at least a high school diploma and 54% completed at least some college. In 2000 80% of people of the same demographic reported having a high school diploma and only 24% earned at least bachelor’s degree.
2. Educational attainment was reported to be lowest for foreign-born Hispanics. Only 49% of Hispanics reported completing high school, the same percentage of Asians reported to have earned a college degree.
3. The report shows a strong correlation between level of education and income. In 2007 people holding bachelor’s degrees earned about $20,000 more annually than workers with only a high school diploma. This College Board report, Education Pays, gives more information on the relationship between level of education and income.
4. Women, however, still earn significantly less than men with the same level of education. According to the report, men earned more than women at each level of education attainment. Women with a bachelor’s degree earned only 74% of what men earned with a bachelor’s degree. This has improved since 1987, when women with bachelor’s degrees earned 66% of what men with the same education level earned, but equality has not yet been achieved.
5. A larger proportion of women had high school degrees, but more men held bachelor’s degrees than women.

While nearly all students are aware of the importance of education, particularly in securing higher-paying jobs, many still cannot reach their educational goals. This report by the Center for American Progress discusses educational barriers and possible solutions.

Do you find the results of the Educational Attainment in the United States report surprising? What do you think we should be doing to increase educational attainment? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

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