Report Highlights. High school is the highest level of education attainment among 28.9% of American adults aged 18 and older; 22.2% have achieved bachelor’s degree attainment.
- Between 1993 and 2023, educational attainment skyrocketed among adults aged 25 and older, with a 74.9% increase in college graduates; high school completion increased 14.0%.
- 91.4% of Americans aged 25 years and older have attained at least a high school diploma; 38.3% are college graduates.
- 39.7% of American women aged 25+ are college graduates; 36.9% of American men have college degrees.
Related reports include College Graduation Statistics | College Dropout Rates | College Enrollment Statistics
Education Level Statistics
Education attainment refers to the highest completed level of education. High school completion includes equivalency programs (i.e. GED).
- 60.9% of 18- and 19-year-old Americans are high school graduates; 1.6% have associate’s degrees while 0.6% have bachelor’s degrees.
- 93.3% of 20- to 24-year-old Americans are high school graduates; 25.9% have college degrees (associate’s or higher).
- Among Americans aged 65 years and older, 89.6% are high school graduates; 42.6% have college degrees (associate’s or higher).
- In 1910, 13.5% of Americans aged 25 years and older had a high school diploma; among them, 20.0% also had four (4) years of college attendance.
- By 1950, 34.3% of Americans aged 25 and older were high school graduates; among them, 18.1% had at least four (4) years of college.
- A high school diploma decreases unemployment 30.4% (equivalent to 1.7 percentage points from 5.6% to 3.9%).
- Compared to high school graduates, associate’s degree holders have a 30.8% lower unemployment rate; bachelor’s degree holders have a 43.6% lower unemployment rate.
High School Attainment Statistics
While “high school graduate” may refer to any diploma or equivalency holder, the high school graduation rate may refer to the 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) or the averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR).
- 74.460 million adults aged 18 and older (28.9%) have a high school diploma as their highest level of education.
- 3.754 million American teenagers graduated high school in spring of 2023; 328,480 graduated from private schools.
- Most of the Class of 2023 (91.2%) attended public schools; 8.75% graduated from private schools.
- As of Spring 2023, that nationwide AFGR in public schools is 87.4%; the latest ACGR is from 2022 (86.4%).
- The AFGR increased 6.72% between 2012-13 and 2022-23.
- The national ACGR increased 8.75% over a 10-year period (2012-2022).
High School Attainment Demographics
Official sources report data divided into two sex-based categories: male and female. Additional categorical data is unavailable, and “sex” and “gender” are used interchangeably.
- Among public school attendees, 49.99% of the Class of 2023 was male; 49.95% was female; 0.06% declined to report.
- 30.9% of all men aged 18 years and older (equivalent to 39.065 million) have a high school diploma as their highest level of education.
- 26.9% of all women aged 18 years and older (35.429 million) have a high school diploma as their highest level of education.
- 34.6% of Americans aged 20 to 24 (7.709 million) have a high school diploma with no further education.
- 31.1% of Americans aged 65 years and older (18.002 million) have a high school diploma with no further education.
Occupations for High School Attainment
The top industries among high school completers include production, transportation, and material moving, natural resources, construction, and maintenance.
- $899 is the median weekly wage ($46,748 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with a high school diploma as their highest level of education.
- Home health and personal care aides has the highest industry growth potential among occupations that requires a minimum of a high school diploma.
- $33,530 is the median annual wage among home health and personal care aide positions.
- Projections indicate a need for 7.189 million new home health and personal care aides over the next decade.
- The highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations for high school graduates (with no additional training required) include:
- First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Occupations with the highest concentration of workers aged 25+ who have attained a high school diploma as their highest level of education include:
- Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders (58.0%)
- Metal pourers and casters (58.0%)
- Quarry rock splitters (55.8%)
Historical High School Diploma Attainment
The national high school Class of 1870 had 16,000 members, equivalent to 2.0% of the 17-year-old population; by 1910, there were 156,429 high school graduates (8.8%).
- In 1910, 86.5% of Americans aged 25 years and older did not complete four (4) years of high school.
- 10.8% of Americans aged 25 and older had diplomas in 1910 but did not complete four (4) or more years of college.
- By 1950, 28.1% of Americans 25 and older had a high school diploma as their highest level of educational attainment.
- In 2000, 84.1% of American adults aged 25 and older were high school graduates; 56.4% had no more than a high school diploma.
- 90.9% of adults aged 25+ were high school graduates in 2023; 54.0% had no more than a diploma.
Associate’s Degree Attainment Statistics
Nearly 1-in-10 Americans have an associate’s degree as their highest level education attainment.
- 25.555 million adults aged 18 and older (9.9%) have an associate’s degree as their highest level of education.
- Postsecondary institutions confer roughly one (1) million associate’s degrees each year.
- The most common associate’s degree is in liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities, representing 38.0% of degrees conferred in spring 2022.
- 9.0% of all men aged 18 years and older (equivalent to 11.378 million Americans) have an associate’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 10.7% of all women aged 18 years and older (14.093 million) have an associate’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 8.2% of Americans aged 20 to 24 (1.827 million) have an associate’s degree with no further education.
- 9.9% of Americans aged 65 years and older (5.731 million) have an associate’s degree with no further education.
Occupations for Associate’s Degree Attainment
The top industries among associate’s degree attainers include healthcare and education.
- $1,058 is the median weekly wage ($55,016 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with an associate’s degree as their highest level of education.
- Preschool teachers, except special education has the highest industry growth potential among occupations that requires a minimum of an associate’s degree.
- $37,130 is the median annual wage among preschool teachers.
- Projections indicate a need for 614,000 new preschool teachers over the next decade.
- The highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations for associate’s degree holders (with no additional training) include:
- Respiratory therapists
- Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Dental hygienists
- Occupations with the highest concentration of workers aged 25+ who have attained an associate’s degree as their highest level of education include:
- Respiratory therapists (50.5%)
- Radiologic technologists and technicians (48.9%)
- Occupational therapy assistants (48.7%)
Bachelor’s Degree Attainment Statistics
The most common type of postsecondary degree, business majors represent the largest share (18.6%) of recent bachelor’s program graduates.
- 57.305 million adults aged 18 and older (22.2%) have a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 53.503 million adults aged 25 years and older (23.5%) have a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 49.1% of students who entered a bachelor’s program in 2016 had a degree four (4) years later; 64.6% had their bachelor’s degree within six (6) years of entry.
- 33.7% of 1996 college freshmen had a bachelor’s degree within four (4) years; 55.4% had their degree within six (6) years.
Bachelor’s Degree Attainment Demographics
Official sources report data divided into two sex-based categories: male and female. Additional categorical data is unavailable, and “sex” and “gender” are used interchangeably.
- 21.3% of all men aged 18 years and older (equivalent to 26.928 million) have a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 23.0% of all women aged 18 years and older (30.293 million) have a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 34.6% 16.3% of Americans aged 20 to 24 (3.632 million) have a bachelor’s degree with no further education.
- 26.3% of 35- to 39-year-olds (5.833 million) have a bachelor’s degree and no further education.
- 18.4% of Americans aged 65 years and older (10.651 million) have a bachelor’s degree with no further education.
Occupations for Bachelor’s Degree Attainment
The top occupations among bachelor’s degree attainers include systems management and analysis.
- $1,493 is the median weekly wage ($77,636 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.
- General operations management has the highest job growth potential among occupations that requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
- $101,280 is the median annual wage among general managers.
- Projections indicate a need for 3.208 million new general operations managers over the next decade.
- The highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations for bachelor’s degree holders (with no additional training) include (but are not limited to):
- Computer analyst
- Data scientist
- Medical and health services manager
- Information security analyst
- Software developer
- Financial manager
- Systems manager
- Occupations with the highest concentration of workers aged 25+ who have attained a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education include:
- Conservation scientists (74.3%)
- Foresters (74.3%)
- Advertising and promotions managers (65.2%)
Graduate Degree Attainment
Graduate degrees include master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees.
- 25.555 million adults aged 18 and older (9.9%) have a master’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 8.518 million ( #1) adults aged 18 and older (3.3%) have a doctorate or professional degree.
- 25.272 million adults aged 25 years and older (11.1%) have a master’s degree as their highest level of education.
- 11.1% of the female population and 8.7% of males aged 18 and older have a master’s degree level of attainment.
- 3.6% of males and 2.9% of females aged 18 and older have a doctorate or professional degree level of attainment.
- 8.424 million adults aged 25 years and older (3.7%) have a doctorate or professional degree.
Occupations for Master’s Degree Attainment
The top occupations for a master’s degree level of education attainment are predominantly health-related, including counselors and therapists.
- $1,737 is the median weekly wage ($90,324 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with a master’s degree as their highest level of education.
- Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counseling has the highest job growth potential among occupations that requires a minimum of a master’s degree.
- $53,710 is the median annual wage among substance abuse and behavioral counselors.
- Projections indicate a need for 489,000 new substance abuse and behavioral counselors over the next decade.
- The highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations for master’s degree holders (with no additional training) include:
- Nurse practitioner
- Physicians assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Occupations with the highest concentration of workers aged 25+ who have attained an master’s degree as their highest level of education include:
- Speech-language pathologist (81.7%)
- Nurse midwife (71.3%)
- Nurse practitioner (71.3%)
Occupations for Doctorate and Professional Attainment
Doctoral degrees or doctorates are best for researchers and postsecondary teachers. The term “postdoctoral” refers to advanced research programs.
- $2,109 is the median weekly wage ($109,668 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with a doctoral degree.
- $2,206 is the median weekly wage ($114,712 annually) among civilian workers aged 25 years and older with a professional degree.
- Postsecondary health specialties teachers and lawyers have the highest job growth potential among occupations that require a minimum of a doctorate or professional degree.
- $105,650 is the median annual wage among new health specialties teachers and trainers.
- $145,760 is the median annual wage among new lawyers.
- Projections indicate a need for 284,000 new postsecondary health specialties teachers over the next decade.
- Projections indicate a need for 356,000 new lawyers over the next decade.
- In addition to health specialties teachers and lawyers, the highest-paying, fastest-growing occupations for doctoral & professional degree holders (with no additional training) include:
- Medical scientists (except epidemiologists)
- Physical therapists
- Veterinarians
- Occupations with the highest concentration* of workers aged 25+ who have attained a doctorate or professional degree include:
- Podiatrists (98.2%)
- Optometrists (97.3%)
- Veterinarians (96.8%)
*This does not include occupations for which 100% of workers have professional or doctorate degrees.