38.7%
2024 (latest)
COLLEGE ATTAINMENT
percent of adults 25 and over · 1940–2024 · higher is better · Census Bureau, CPS Historical Table A-2
4.6%
1940
38.7%
high · 2024
4.6%
low · 1940
+34 pts
since 1940
┊ 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
Method & caveats. Share of people 25 and over who have completed four or more years of college. The question changed in 1992 from years completed to degree received, so figures before and after that seam are close but not identical in definition.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment/cps-historical-time-series.html
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Long-Run-Indicators
Data
| Year | College Attainment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 38.7% | +0.4 pts |
| 2023 | 38.3% | +0.6 pts |
| 2022 | 37.7% | −0.2 pts |
| 2021 | 37.9% | +0.4 pts |
| 2020 | 37.5% | +1.5 pts |
| 2019 | 36.0% | +1.0 pts |
| 2018 | 35.0% | +0.8 pts |
| 2017 | 34.2% | +0.8 pts |
| 2016 | 33.4% | +0.9 pts |
| 2015 | 32.5% | +0.5 pts |
| 2014 | 32.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 2013 | 31.7% | +0.8 pts |
| 2012 | 30.9% | +0.5 pts |
| 2011 | 30.4% | +0.5 pts |
| 2010 | 29.9% | +0.4 pts |
| 2009 | 29.5% | +0.1 pts |
| 2008 | 29.4% | +0.7 pts |
| 2007 | 28.7% | +0.7 pts |
| 2006 | 28.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 2005 | 27.7% | +0.0 pts |
| 2004 | 27.7% | +0.5 pts |
| 2003 | 27.2% | +0.5 pts |
| 2002 | 26.7% | +0.5 pts |
| 2001 | 26.2% | +0.6 pts |
| 2000 | 25.6% | +0.4 pts |
| 1999 | 25.2% | +0.8 pts |
| 1998 | 24.4% | +0.5 pts |
| 1997 | 23.9% | +0.3 pts |
| 1996 | 23.6% | +0.6 pts |
| 1995 | 23.0% | +0.8 pts |
| 1994 | 22.2% | +0.3 pts |
| 1993 | 21.9% | +0.5 pts |
| 1992 | 21.4% | +0.0 pts |
| 1991 | 21.4% | +0.1 pts |
| 1990 | 21.3% | +0.2 pts |
| 1989 | 21.1% | +0.8 pts |
| 1988 | 20.3% | +0.4 pts |
| 1987 | 19.9% | +0.5 pts |
| 1986 | 19.4% | +0.0 pts |
| 1985 | 19.4% | +0.3 pts |
| 1984 | 19.1% | +0.3 pts |
| 1983 | 18.8% | +1.1 pts |
| 1982 | 17.7% | +0.6 pts |
| 1981 | 17.1% | +0.1 pts |
| 1980 | 17.0% | +0.6 pts |
| 1979 | 16.4% | +0.7 pts |
| 1978 | 15.7% | +0.3 pts |
| 1977 | 15.4% | +0.7 pts |
| 1976 | 14.7% | +0.8 pts |
| 1975 | 13.9% | +0.6 pts |
| 1974 | 13.3% | +0.7 pts |
| 1973 | 12.6% | +0.6 pts |
| 1972 | 12.0% | +0.6 pts |
| 1971 | 11.4% | +0.4 pts |
| 1970 | 11.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 1969 | 10.7% | +0.2 pts |
| 1968 | 10.5% | +0.4 pts |
| 1967 | 10.1% | +0.3 pts |
| 1966 | 9.8% | +0.4 pts |
| 1965 | 9.4% | +0.3 pts |
| 1964 | 9.1% | +0.2 pts |
| 1962 | 8.9% | +0.8 pts |
| 1959 | 8.1% | +0.5 pts |
| 1957 | 7.6% | +0.6 pts |
| 1952 | 7.0% | +0.8 pts |
| 1950 | 6.2% | +0.8 pts |
| 1947 | 5.4% | +0.8 pts |
| 1940 | 4.6% | — |
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