The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data on educational attainment in the United States for 2024, based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The report provides information about the education levels of adults age 18 and older, with breakdowns by age, sex, race, nativity, and other demographic characteristics.
According to the findings, in 2024, 42.8% of people ages 25 to 39 held a bachelor’s degree or higher. For those ages 40 to 54, the percentage was 41.5%, while among those age 55 and older it was 34.2%. The data also show that among adults age 25 and older, women were more likely than men to have completed at least a bachelor’s degree—40.1% compared to 37.1%.
Employment data from the survey indicate that among employed workers in 2024, nearly half (49.3%) had a high school diploma or associate degree as their highest level of educational attainment. Another 44.5% held a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 6.1% did not have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Analysis by occupation reveals that professional and related fields had the highest proportion of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree (76.5%), followed by management, business, and financial occupations (64.2%). In contrast, installation, maintenance, and repair occupations had the highest share of workers whose top credential was a high school diploma or associate degree (78.3%).
Looking at industries overall, transportation and utilities led in employing workers with a high school diploma or associate degree (67.5%). Meanwhile, the information industry had the largest percentage of employees with at least a bachelor’s degree (64.9%), closely followed by education and health services (61.2%).
The Current Population Survey is conducted jointly by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and serves as a key source for national labor force statistics.
“All comparative statements in this tip sheet have undergone statistical testing, and, unless otherwise noted, all are statistically significant at the 10 percent significance level,” according to documentation provided by the Census Bureau.
Further details on confidentiality protection, methodology, sampling error and definitions are available through technical documentation provided by the agencies.
