Census Report: U.S. Gains More Degree Holders

American adults are getting better educated, new Census Bureau estimates show.

Of Americans age 25 and older this year, a record-high 84.1% had at least a high school degree, up from 83.4% in 1999 and 24.5% in 1940, the earliest records available, according to the Census report being released today.

In addition, 25.6% of those age 25 and older have graduated from college, also a new high. It was up slightly from 25.2% last year, and from 4.6% in 1940.

The report is in line with other studies on Americans’ educational attainment, advocates say. It typically shows about a 1 percentage point increase in degree holders each year, Census analyst Eric Newburger said.

“It’s largely because students realize that in order to exist in today’s economy, they definitely have to have a high school degree. And what’s interesting is that while rates have gone up, the grade requirements are much stiffer,” said Kathleen Lyons, spokeswoman for the National Education Association. “So it’s good news all around.”

The statistics were collected as part of a Census Bureau survey in March, but are not results from Census 2000. The first Census 2000 population numbers will be released late next week.

Education Secretary Richard Riley has said that his department has worked with local schools and community organizations to help make college more affordable as more students recognize the importance of continuing their education beyond high school.

Aides to President-elect Bush say the incoming administration can do more. Bush has promised education reform will be the subject of one of the first bills he sends to Congress.

Bush campaign proposals included the expansion of Pell Grants for college students, and the expansion of education savings accounts that allow parents to withdraw money tax free to pay for expenses from kindergarten through college.

“President-elect Bush has laid out a comprehensive education reform plan to improve our public schools so that every child can learn and succeed, as well as a detailed agenda to make high education more accessible and more affordable,” Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said.

The Census report today showed that 79.2% of people age 25 and older in Bush’s home state of Texas graduated from high school this year, nearly 5 percentage points below the national average. The percentage of Texans age 25 and older with a college degree was 23.9%, down 1.7 percentage points from the national average.

A Bush education policy advisor said those figures did not give an accurate picture of what has happened in Texas since Bush became governor in 1994. The effect of many of the policies put in place since taking office will be felt in years to come, his aides say.

Nationally, the report showed that education levels increased among whites, blacks and Hispanics, but a wide disparity still existed among the three groups. This year, 88.4% of non-Hispanic whites graduated from high school, compared with 78.9% of non-Hispanic blacks and 57% of Hispanics, who can be of any race.

“In urban areas, often the students with the greatest needs have the least qualified teachers,” the NEA’s Lyons said. “We have to make sure we have qualified teachers in each classroom.”