The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data on educational attainment in the United States, focusing on adults aged 18 and older. The findings are part of the “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2024” table package and draw from statistics collected through the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
According to the report, 42.8% of individuals between ages 25 and 39, 41.5% of those ages 40 to 54, and 34.2% of people age 55 and older have earned at least a bachelor’s degree as of 2024. Gender differences were also observed, with 40.1% of women and 37.1% of men aged 25 and above holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The data further show that among employed workers in 2024, nearly half (49.3%) had attained a high school diploma or associate degree as their highest level of education, while another significant portion (44.5%) held at least a bachelor’s degree. Only 6.1% lacked a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Occupational breakdowns indicate that professional and related occupations had the highest share—76.5%—of employees with at least a bachelor’s degree, followed by management, business, and financial roles at 64.2%. In contrast, installation, maintenance, and repair positions saw the largest percentage (78.3%) of workers whose highest credential was a high school diploma or associate degree.
Industry comparisons reveal that transportation and utilities led with the most employees (67.5%) holding only a high school diploma or associate degree as their top qualification. The information industry had the greatest proportion (64.9%) of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree; education and health services followed closely at 61.2%.
“The Current Population Survey, sponsored by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is the primary source of labor force statistics for the nation’s population,” according to materials provided by the Census Bureau.
Further details about confidentiality protection procedures, survey methodology, sampling error considerations, nonsampling error issues, and definitions can be found in technical documentation supplied by the Census Bureau.
All comparative statements reported have been statistically tested; unless otherwise specified in materials from this release, all findings meet statistical significance at the ten percent level.
