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EDUCATION

15 indicators · 1940–2026 · every value from its primary publisher
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
College Attainmentpercent of adults 25 and over · 1976–2024 · Census Bureau, CPS Historical Table A-2
38.7%2024
+24 pts since 1976
14.7% then
Oil shock & inflation peak (1979)’79Black Monday crash (1987)’87Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
College TuitionCPI index, 1982-84 = 100 · 1978–2026 · FRED CUSR0000SEEB
9112026 thru Jul
+1423% since 1978
60 then
Oil shock & inflation peak (1979)’79Black Monday crash (1987)’87Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Reading Score, Age 13 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend reading scale score, age 13 (0–500) · 1980–2023 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
2562023
−3 pts since 1980
259 then
Black Monday crash (1987)’87Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Math Score, Age 13 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend mathematics scale score, age 13 (0–500) · 1978–2023 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
2712023
+7 pts since 1978
264 then
Oil shock & inflation peak (1979)’79Black Monday crash (1987)’87Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Science Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average science scale score (0–300) · 2009–2024 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
1502024
−0 pts since 2009
150 then
COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Civics Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average civics scale score (0–300) · 1998–2022 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
1502022
+0 pts since 1998
150 then
Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
U.S. History Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average U.S. history scale score (0–500) · 1994–2022 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
2582022
−1 pts since 1994
259 then
Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Geography Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average geography scale score (0–500) · 1994–2018 · NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress
2582018
−1 pts since 1994
260 then
Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08
Can Name All Three Branches of Governmentpercent of adults naming all three branches (online panel) · 2022–2025 · Annenberg Public Policy Center, Constitution Day Civics Survey
70%2025
−2.0 pts since 2022
72% then
Vocabulary Test Scoremean correct answers on the GSS 10-word vocabulary test · 1976–2024 · NORC General Social Survey (cumulative file 1972–2024)
6.332024
+0.34 of 10 since 1976
5.99 then
Oil shock & inflation peak (1979)’79Black Monday crash (1987)’87Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Time Spent Readingminutes per day reading for personal interest, all people 15+ · 2003–2025 · BLS American Time Use Survey (series TUU10101AA01006315)
16 min2025
−5 min since 2003
22 min then
Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Read on an Average Daypercent of people 15+ who read for personal interest on an average day · 2003–2025 · BLS American Time Use Survey (series TUU30105AA01006315)
16.1%2025
−10 pts since 2003
26.3% then
Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Read Any Book Last Yearpercent of adults who read any book not required for work or school, past 12 months · 2002–2022 · National Endowment for the Arts, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (with the Census Bureau)
48.5%2022
−8.1 pts since 2002
56.6% then
Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Books Read per Yearmean books read, all or part of the way through, past year · 1990–2021 · Gallup
12.62021
−18% since 1990
15.3 then
Gulf War recession (1991)’91Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Read a Book Last Year (any format)percent of adults who read a book, in whole or in part, in any format, past 12 months · 2011–2025 · Pew Research Center
75%2025
−3.0 pts since 2011
78% then
COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
Data

Complete year-by-year values, raw numbers in the unit in each column header. Machine-readable: stats.json · stats.csv.

YearCollege Attainmentpercent of adults 25 and over · 1940–2024College TuitionCPI index, 1982-84 = 100 · 1978–2026 (2026 thru Jul)Reading Score, Age 13 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend reading scale score, age 13 (0–500) · 1971–2023Reading Score, Age 9 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend reading scale score, age 9 (0–500) · 1971–2022Math Score, Age 13 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend mathematics scale score, age 13 (0–500) · 1978–2023Math Score, Age 9 (NAEP LTT)average long-term-trend mathematics scale score, age 9 (0–500) · 1978–2022Science Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average science scale score (0–300) · 2009–2024Civics Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average civics scale score (0–300) · 1998–2022U.S. History Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average U.S. history scale score (0–500) · 1994–2022Geography Knowledge (NAEP)grade-8 average geography scale score (0–500) · 1994–2018Can Name All Three Branches of Governmentpercent of adults naming all three branches (online panel) · 2022–2025Can Name All Three Branches (phone era)percent of adults naming all three branches (telephone survey) · 2006–2022Vocabulary Test Scoremean correct answers on the GSS 10-word vocabulary test · 1974–2024Time Spent Readingminutes per day reading for personal interest, all people 15+ · 2003–2025Read on an Average Daypercent of people 15+ who read for personal interest on an average day · 2003–2025Read Any Book Last Yearpercent of adults who read any book not required for work or school, past 12 months · 2002–2022Books Read per Yearmean books read, all or part of the way through, past year · 1990–2021Read a Book Last Year (any format)percent of adults who read a book, in whole or in part, in any format, past 12 months · 2011–2025
19404.6
19475.4
19506.2
19527
19577.6
19598.1
19628.9
19649.1
19659.4
19669.8
196710.1
196810.5
196910.7
197011
197111.4255.2207.6
197212
197312.6
197413.35.94
197513.9255.9210
197614.75.99
197715.4
197815.759.8264.1218.65.95
197916.464.7
19801771.2258.5215
198117.179.9
198217.790.5268.62195.96
198318.899.7
198419.1109.8257.1210.96.03
198519.4119.7
198619.4129.6269221.7
198719.91405.89
198820.3151257.5211.85.8
198921.1162.75.73
199021.3175.7256.8209.2270.4229.65.9915.3
199121.4191.35.92
199221.4208.5259.8210.5273.1229.6
199321.9225.35.84
199422.2239.8257.9211274.3231.1259.3259.76
199523253.8
199623.6267.1257.9212.5274.32315.92
199723.9280.4
199824.4294.31506.01
199925.2308.4259.4211.7275.823218.5
200025.6323.95.86
200126.2341260.2260.214.5
200226.736256.615.8
200327.2386.621.626.3
200427.7414.3256.7215.7278.8239.45.9922.827.7
200527.7440.822.82714.2
200628468150263336.1221.626.4
200728.7494.12124.9
200829.4522.1259.7220.1281.5242.95.8920.423.954.3
200929.554915020.424.2
201029.9573.2151.3265.7261.25.931821.1
201130.4597.2151.738182078
201230.9621262.8220.82852445.9219.820.754.674.5
201331.7643.73819.220.5
201432664.8153.6267.5261.5365.9419.221.376
201532.5688.8153.93119.221.172
201633.4708.1266.0217.419.515.673
201734.2724.72616.818.752.7
201835741.3152.7263258.4325.8215.617.574
201936762.8153.83916.21872
202037.5777.7260.1219.7279.7241.451
202137.9788.75616.817.912.675
202237.7810214.6233.9150.2258.472476.2215.616.748.5
202338.3836.5255.7270.76615.616.2
202438.7863.2149.9656.3316.816.1
2025891.17016.216.175
2026910.8
Sources