Census Bureau: Bachelor’s Degree Attainment Tops 30 Percent for the First Time

In March 2011, for the first time ever, more than 30 percent of U.S. adults 25 and older had at least a bachelor’s degree, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. As recently as 1998, fewer than one-quarter of people this age had this level of education.

 From 2001 to 2011, the number of Hispanics with a bachelor’s or higher education increased 80 percent from 2.1 million to 3.8 million. The percentage of Hispanics with a bachelor’s or higher education increased from 11.1 percent in 2001 to 14.1 percent in 2011. Overall, the increase in the proportion of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher went from 26.2 percent to 30.4 percent.

     “This is an important milestone in our history,” Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said. “For many people, education is a sure path to a prosperous life. The more education people have the more likely they are to have a job and earn more money, particularly for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree.”  MORE

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