The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data on educational attainment in the United States for 2024, offering a detailed look at the education levels of adults aged 18 and older. The data, drawn from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, breaks down attainment by age, sex, race, nativity, and other demographic characteristics.
According to the findings, 42.8% of people aged 25 to 39 held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2024. Among those aged 40 to 54, the figure was 41.5%, while it was lower—34.2%—for individuals aged 55 and older.
The data also show differences by gender: “In 2024, 40.1% of women and 37.1% of men age 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher.”
Looking at employment status and educational background, “In 2024, 49.3% of employed workers had a high school diploma or associate degree and 44.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher as their highest level of educational attainment, and 6.1% did not have a high school diploma or equivalent.”
Educational attainment varied across occupational groups as well: “In 2024, 76.5% of people who worked in professional and related occupations and 64.2% of people in management, business and financial occupations held a bachelor’s degree or higher.” For installation, maintenance, and repair jobs, most workers (78.3%) had either a high school diploma or an associate degree.
Industry-specific data indicated that transportation and utilities had the largest share (67.5%) of workers with only a high school diploma or associate degree as their highest credential attained. By contrast, industries such as information (64.9%) and education and health services (61.2%) saw the highest percentages of employees holding at least a bachelor’s degree.
The Current Population Survey is conducted jointly by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to provide key labor force statistics for the nation.
All comparative statements released have been statistically tested for significance at the ten percent level unless otherwise noted.
