Dive Brief:
- A new report, "A Stronger Nation through Higher Education," shows the percentage of working-age Americans with two- or four-year college degrees has crept up, but still lags behind other countries.
- According to the Lumina Foundation report, 39.4% of Americans between 25 and 64 held degrees in 2012, the most recent year data was available. That’s up from 38.7% in 2011.
- Globally, the U.S. is ranked No. 11 for post-secondary degree attainment.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. comparison to other countries is especially embarrassing for the age 25-to-34 group. In South Korea, 64% of people in that age group have completed education beyond high school; in Japan and Canada, the figure is around 60%. For the U.S., it’s 40.9%. The race breakdown for degree attainment within the U.S. for ages 25 to 64 shows Asians at 59.4%, whites at 43.9%, blacks at 27.6%, Native Americans at 23.4%, and Hispanics at 19.8%. The college-going rate for blacks increased to 67.1% from 62%, and Hispanics saw an increase to 66.6% from 59.7%.
