The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data on educational attainment among adults in the United States, drawing from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The table package, titled Educational Attainment in the United States: 2024, examines education levels for adults age 18 and older, broken down by age, sex, race, nativity, and other demographic factors.
According to the 2024 findings, 42.8% of people ages 25 to 39 held a bachelor’s degree or higher. For those ages 40 to 54, the rate was 41.5%, while it was lower for individuals age 55 and older at 34.2%. Among all adults age 25 and older in 2024, women were more likely than men to have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher—40.1% compared to 37.1%.
In terms of employment-related educational attainment in 2024, nearly half (49.3%) of employed workers had either a high school diploma or an associate degree as their highest level of education completed; meanwhile, another large segment (44.5%) had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree. Only a small portion (6.1%) did not have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Occupational breakdowns reveal that higher education is especially common in certain fields: “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.” Installation, maintenance and repair jobs had the highest percentage (78.3%) of workers whose highest credential was a high school diploma or associate degree.
Looking at industries overall, transportation and utilities led with the largest share (67.5%) of workers holding only a high school diploma or associate degree as their top credential; meanwhile “the industries with the highest percentage of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher were information (64.9%) and education and health services (61.2%).”
The Current Population Survey is jointly sponsored by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; it serves as the main source for labor force statistics about the nation’s population.
All comparative statements released have been statistically tested at the ten percent significance level unless otherwise noted.
