Elementary and Secondary Education

High School Graduates or Higher Among Individuals 25–44 Years Old: 2005

previous page.Return to Indicators List
  • 1st quartile
    (99.4–89.6)
  • 2nd quartile
    (89.3–86.8)
  • 3rd quartile
    (86.7–84.6)
  • 4th quartile
    (84.4–77.0)

Quartiles

High school graduates or higher among individuals 25–44 years old: 2005
 
1st Quartile
(99.4%–89.6%)		 2nd Quartile
(89.3%–86.8%)		 3rd Quartile
(86.7%–84.6%)		 4th Quartile
(84.4%–77.0%)
 
Iowa Colorado District of Columbia Alabama
Kansas Connecticut Georgia Alaska
Maine Delaware Idaho Arizona
Massachusetts Hawaii Indiana Arkansas
Minnesota Illinois Maryland California
Montana Michigan New Jersey Florida
Nebraska Missouri North Carolina Kentucky
New Hampshire New York Oklahoma Louisiana
North Dakota Ohio Oregon Mississippi
South Dakota Pennsylvania South Carolina Nevada
Utah Rhode Island Tennessee New Mexico
Vermont Washington Virginia Texas
Wisconsin Wyoming West Virginia  
 
SOURCES: Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (various years); and American Community Survey (various years). See Data Table.

Findings

  • Nationwide, 84.8% of the early- to mid-career population had at least a high school credential in 2005, which is nearly identical with 85.0% in 2000.
  • Only 21 states and the District of Columbia showed an increase in the percentage of their early- to mid-career population with at least a high school credential between 2000 and 2005. Thirteen states had 2005 values below the 2000 national average of 85.0% compared with 17 states and the District of Columbia in 2000.
  • In 2005, the early- to mid-career population with at least a high school credential varied greatly among states, ranging from 77.0% to 99.4%. States in close proximity to the southern border tended to rank lowest on this indicator.

Description

This indicator represents the percentage of the early- to mid-career population that has earned at least a high school credential. The indicator represents where high school graduates have chosen to live and work rather than where they were educated. The 25–44-year-old cohort was selected because it is likely to capture both high school diplomas and equivalency degrees. High values indicate a resident population and potential workforce with widespread basic education credentials.

Estimates of educational attainment are developed by the Census Bureau based on the 2000 Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). The census is conducted every 10 years, but the ACS provides annually updated data on the characteristics of population and housing. In 2005, ACS became the largest household survey in the United States, with an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses. Estimates of population are developed by the Census Bureau through the Population Estimates Program, which is also based on the 2000 Decennial Census. The value of this indicator may be imprecise for jurisdictions with small populations because both its numerator and denominator are based on estimates.

Data Table

Table 8-14
High school graduates or higher among individuals 25–44 years old, by state: 2000, 2003, and 2005
 
  Graduates 25–44 years old   Population 25–44 years old   Graduates/population
25–44 years old (%)
State 2000 2003 2005    2000 2003 2005    2000 2003 2005
 
United States 72,241,876 71,684,426 71,215,646   85,040,251 84,216,990 84,010,639   85.0 85.1 84.8
Alabama 1,064,945 1,027,964 1,035,193   1,288,527 1,241,184 1,234,729   82.6 82.8 83.8
Alaska 186,160 167,805 162,669   203,522 194,823 194,890   91.5 86.1 83.5
Arizona 1,232,818 1,286,915 1,367,583   1,511,469 1,599,029 1,694,572   81.6 80.5 80.7
Arkansas 622,698 608,116 633,557   750,972 738,579 750,229   82.9 82.3 84.4
California 8,286,071 8,529,909 8,316,850   10,714,403 10,832,873 10,794,860   77.3 78.7 77.0
Colorado 1,242,919 1,239,272 1,240,697   1,400,850 1,417,501 1,421,418   88.7 87.4 87.3
Connecticut 926,614 903,677 852,932   1,032,689 999,800 968,330   89.7 90.4 88.1
Delaware 207,799 204,842 206,583   236,441 233,356 233,683   87.9 87.8 88.4
District of Columbia 157,077 160,782 163,027   189,439 188,758 189,675   82.9 85.2 86.0
Florida 3,840,710 3,924,625 4,000,762   4,569,347 4,676,558 4,812,867   84.1 83.9 83.1
Georgia 2,238,995 2,280,061 2,368,999   2,652,764 2,723,720 2,784,441   84.4 83.7 85.1
Hawaii 333,762 316,491 308,637   362,336 352,806 355,620   92.1 89.7 86.8
Idaho 316,815 323,260 327,870   362,401 370,690 387,620   87.4 87.2 84.6
Illinois 3,265,416 3,267,787 3,200,557   3,795,544 3,727,314 3,672,713   86.0 87.7 87.1
Indiana 1,567,100 1,494,212 1,500,650   1,791,828 1,748,331 1,741,859   87.5 85.5 86.2
Iowa 740,397 709,299 713,525   808,259 775,320 764,399   91.6 91.5 93.3
Kansas 687,268 675,316 656,920   769,204 743,961 732,886   89.3 90.8 89.6
Kentucky 1,009,246 1,013,026 993,094   1,210,773 1,182,970 1,187,091   83.4 85.6 83.7
Louisiana 1,044,255 1,014,054 1,026,229   1,293,128 1,230,819 1,217,481   80.8 82.4 84.3
Maine 339,227 325,208 317,653   370,597 358,691 350,196   91.5 90.7 90.7
Maryland 1,487,216 1,454,663 1,399,879   1,664,677 1,641,907 1,615,367   89.3 88.6 86.7
Massachusetts 1,795,438 1,763,262 1,690,234   1,989,783 1,922,446 1,848,998   90.2 91.7 91.4
Michigan 2,630,713 2,551,652 2,455,339   2,960,544 2,840,435 2,772,896   88.9 89.8 88.5
Minnesota 1,395,170 1,374,938 1,345,742   1,497,320 1,465,370 1,443,493   93.2 93.8 93.2
Mississippi 650,242 645,671 648,458   807,170 782,327 778,254   80.6 82.5 83.3
Missouri 1,426,806 1,399,485 1,378,001   1,626,302 1,587,931 1,585,316   87.7 88.1 86.9
Montana 225,105 213,382 216,509   245,220 232,735 232,383   91.8 91.7 93.2
Nebraska 441,527 432,446 421,008   487,107 471,024 464,556   90.6 91.8 90.6
Nevada 508,173 538,622 585,942   628,572 679,392 729,594   80.8 79.3 80.3
New Hampshire 350,744 340,140 330,926   381,240 373,644 364,731   92.0 91.0 90.7
New Jersey 2,313,820 2,254,281 2,165,296   2,624,146 2,578,072 2,510,115   88.2 87.4 86.3
New Mexico 425,745 400,847 411,608   516,100 506,956 511,007   82.5 79.1 80.5
New York 4,926,064 4,912,059 4,786,794   5,831,622 5,667,484 5,501,929   84.5 86.7 87.0
North Carolina 2,117,289 2,096,022 2,148,501   2,500,535 2,507,025 2,523,658   84.7 83.6 85.1
North Dakota 164,893 157,062 155,297   174,891 160,522 156,178   94.3 97.8 99.4
Ohio 2,965,744 2,840,789 2,759,770   3,325,210 3,172,294 3,105,980   89.2 89.5 88.9
Oklahoma 836,030 796,708 807,209   975,169 946,358 944,171   85.7 84.2 85.5
Oregon 861,602 880,905 872,276   997,269 1,003,698 1,015,644   86.4 87.8 85.9
Pennsylvania 3,136,195 2,966,827 2,908,593   3,508,562 3,343,434 3,255,635   89.4 88.7 89.3
Rhode Island 265,033 262,340 264,154   310,636 306,459 296,717   85.3 85.6 89.0
South Carolina 990,207 1,002,730 999,627   1,185,955 1,167,347 1,171,573   83.5 85.9 85.3
South Dakota 188,052 182,643 180,013   206,399 197,386 195,213   91.1 92.5 92.2
Tennessee 1,439,729 1,446,735 1,459,559   1,718,428 1,684,796 1,698,611   83.8 85.9 85.9
Texas 5,115,457 5,136,496 5,248,281   6,484,321 6,644,003 6,762,605   78.9 77.3 77.6
Utah 555,513 602,199 646,632   626,600 648,111 695,736   88.7 92.9 92.9
Vermont 162,109 153,679 150,073   176,456 168,392 163,707   91.9 91.3 91.7
Virginia 1,962,040 1,911,347 1,896,614   2,237,655 2,227,978 2,228,610   87.7 85.8 85.1
Washington 1,617,766 1,607,576 1,592,550   1,816,217 1,803,610 1,820,192   89.1 89.1 87.5
West Virginia 420,900 400,998 411,155   501,343 479,781 478,383   84.0 83.6 85.9
Wisconsin 1,429,331 1,369,084 1,367,667   1,581,690 1,537,180 1,517,725   90.4 89.1 90.1
Wyoming 126,931 116,217 117,952   138,619 131,810 132,103   91.6 88.2 89.3
 
Puerto Rico 794,579 NA 868,650   1,049,995 1,069,617 1,077,981   75.7 NA 80.6
 

NA = not available

SOURCES: Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (various years); and American Community Survey (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008
Excel.Source Data
  • 1st quartile
    (99.4–89.6)
  • 2nd quartile
    (89.3–86.8)
  • 3rd quartile
    (86.7–84.6)
  • 4th quartile
    (84.4–77.0)

Quartiles

High school graduates or higher among individuals 25–44 years old: 2005
 
1st Quartile
(99.4%–89.6%)		 2nd Quartile
(89.3%–86.8%)		 3rd Quartile
(86.7%–84.6%)		 4th Quartile
(84.4%–77.0%)
 
Iowa Colorado District of Columbia Alabama
Kansas Connecticut Georgia Alaska
Maine Delaware Idaho Arizona
Massachusetts Hawaii Indiana Arkansas
Minnesota Illinois Maryland California
Montana Michigan New Jersey Florida
Nebraska Missouri North Carolina Kentucky
New Hampshire New York Oklahoma Louisiana
North Dakota Ohio Oregon Mississippi
South Dakota Pennsylvania South Carolina Nevada
Utah Rhode Island Tennessee New Mexico
Vermont Washington Virginia Texas
Wisconsin Wyoming West Virginia  
 
SOURCES: Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (various years); and American Community Survey (various years). See Data Table.

Findings

  • Nationwide, 84.8% of the early- to mid-career population had at least a high school credential in 2005, which is nearly identical with 85.0% in 2000.
  • Only 21 states and the District of Columbia showed an increase in the percentage of their early- to mid-career population with at least a high school credential between 2000 and 2005. Thirteen states had 2005 values below the 2000 national average of 85.0% compared with 17 states and the District of Columbia in 2000.
  • In 2005, the early- to mid-career population with at least a high school credential varied greatly among states, ranging from 77.0% to 99.4%. States in close proximity to the southern border tended to rank lowest on this indicator.

Description

This indicator represents the percentage of the early- to mid-career population that has earned at least a high school credential. The indicator represents where high school graduates have chosen to live and work rather than where they were educated. The 25–44-year-old cohort was selected because it is likely to capture both high school diplomas and equivalency degrees. High values indicate a resident population and potential workforce with widespread basic education credentials.

Estimates of educational attainment are developed by the Census Bureau based on the 2000 Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). The census is conducted every 10 years, but the ACS provides annually updated data on the characteristics of population and housing. In 2005, ACS became the largest household survey in the United States, with an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses. Estimates of population are developed by the Census Bureau through the Population Estimates Program, which is also based on the 2000 Decennial Census. The value of this indicator may be imprecise for jurisdictions with small populations because both its numerator and denominator are based on estimates.

Data Table

Table 8-14
High school graduates or higher among individuals 25–44 years old, by state: 2000, 2003, and 2005
 
  Graduates 25–44 years old   Population 25–44 years old   Graduates/population
25–44 years old (%)
State 2000 2003 2005    2000 2003 2005    2000 2003 2005
 
United States 72,241,876 71,684,426 71,215,646   85,040,251 84,216,990 84,010,639   85.0 85.1 84.8
Alabama 1,064,945 1,027,964 1,035,193   1,288,527 1,241,184 1,234,729   82.6 82.8 83.8
Alaska 186,160 167,805 162,669   203,522 194,823 194,890   91.5 86.1 83.5
Arizona 1,232,818 1,286,915 1,367,583   1,511,469 1,599,029 1,694,572   81.6 80.5 80.7
Arkansas 622,698 608,116 633,557   750,972 738,579 750,229   82.9 82.3 84.4
California 8,286,071 8,529,909 8,316,850   10,714,403 10,832,873 10,794,860   77.3 78.7 77.0
Colorado 1,242,919 1,239,272 1,240,697   1,400,850 1,417,501 1,421,418   88.7 87.4 87.3
Connecticut 926,614 903,677 852,932   1,032,689 999,800 968,330   89.7 90.4 88.1
Delaware 207,799 204,842 206,583   236,441 233,356 233,683   87.9 87.8 88.4
District of Columbia 157,077 160,782 163,027   189,439 188,758 189,675   82.9 85.2 86.0
Florida 3,840,710 3,924,625 4,000,762   4,569,347 4,676,558 4,812,867   84.1 83.9 83.1
Georgia 2,238,995 2,280,061 2,368,999   2,652,764 2,723,720 2,784,441   84.4 83.7 85.1
Hawaii 333,762 316,491 308,637   362,336 352,806 355,620   92.1 89.7 86.8
Idaho 316,815 323,260 327,870   362,401 370,690 387,620   87.4 87.2 84.6
Illinois 3,265,416 3,267,787 3,200,557   3,795,544 3,727,314 3,672,713   86.0 87.7 87.1
Indiana 1,567,100 1,494,212 1,500,650   1,791,828 1,748,331 1,741,859   87.5 85.5 86.2
Iowa 740,397 709,299 713,525   808,259 775,320 764,399   91.6 91.5 93.3
Kansas 687,268 675,316 656,920   769,204 743,961 732,886   89.3 90.8 89.6
Kentucky 1,009,246 1,013,026 993,094   1,210,773 1,182,970 1,187,091   83.4 85.6 83.7
Louisiana 1,044,255 1,014,054 1,026,229   1,293,128 1,230,819 1,217,481   80.8 82.4 84.3
Maine 339,227 325,208 317,653   370,597 358,691 350,196   91.5 90.7 90.7
Maryland 1,487,216 1,454,663 1,399,879   1,664,677 1,641,907 1,615,367   89.3 88.6 86.7
Massachusetts 1,795,438 1,763,262 1,690,234   1,989,783 1,922,446 1,848,998   90.2 91.7 91.4
Michigan 2,630,713 2,551,652 2,455,339   2,960,544 2,840,435 2,772,896   88.9 89.8 88.5
Minnesota 1,395,170 1,374,938 1,345,742   1,497,320 1,465,370 1,443,493   93.2 93.8 93.2
Mississippi 650,242 645,671 648,458   807,170 782,327 778,254   80.6 82.5 83.3
Missouri 1,426,806 1,399,485 1,378,001   1,626,302 1,587,931 1,585,316   87.7 88.1 86.9
Montana 225,105 213,382 216,509   245,220 232,735 232,383   91.8 91.7 93.2
Nebraska 441,527 432,446 421,008   487,107 471,024 464,556   90.6 91.8 90.6
Nevada 508,173 538,622 585,942   628,572 679,392 729,594   80.8 79.3 80.3
New Hampshire 350,744 340,140 330,926   381,240 373,644 364,731   92.0 91.0 90.7
New Jersey 2,313,820 2,254,281 2,165,296   2,624,146 2,578,072 2,510,115   88.2 87.4 86.3
New Mexico 425,745 400,847 411,608   516,100 506,956 511,007   82.5 79.1 80.5
New York 4,926,064 4,912,059 4,786,794   5,831,622 5,667,484 5,501,929   84.5 86.7 87.0
North Carolina 2,117,289 2,096,022 2,148,501   2,500,535 2,507,025 2,523,658   84.7 83.6 85.1
North Dakota 164,893 157,062 155,297   174,891 160,522 156,178   94.3 97.8 99.4
Ohio 2,965,744 2,840,789 2,759,770   3,325,210 3,172,294 3,105,980   89.2 89.5 88.9
Oklahoma 836,030 796,708 807,209   975,169 946,358 944,171   85.7 84.2 85.5
Oregon 861,602 880,905 872,276   997,269 1,003,698 1,015,644   86.4 87.8 85.9
Pennsylvania 3,136,195 2,966,827 2,908,593   3,508,562 3,343,434 3,255,635   89.4 88.7 89.3
Rhode Island 265,033 262,340 264,154   310,636 306,459 296,717   85.3 85.6 89.0
South Carolina 990,207 1,002,730 999,627   1,185,955 1,167,347 1,171,573   83.5 85.9 85.3
South Dakota 188,052 182,643 180,013   206,399 197,386 195,213   91.1 92.5 92.2
Tennessee 1,439,729 1,446,735 1,459,559   1,718,428 1,684,796 1,698,611   83.8 85.9 85.9
Texas 5,115,457 5,136,496 5,248,281   6,484,321 6,644,003 6,762,605   78.9 77.3 77.6
Utah 555,513 602,199 646,632   626,600 648,111 695,736   88.7 92.9 92.9
Vermont 162,109 153,679 150,073   176,456 168,392 163,707   91.9 91.3 91.7
Virginia 1,962,040 1,911,347 1,896,614   2,237,655 2,227,978 2,228,610   87.7 85.8 85.1
Washington 1,617,766 1,607,576 1,592,550   1,816,217 1,803,610 1,820,192   89.1 89.1 87.5
West Virginia 420,900 400,998 411,155   501,343 479,781 478,383   84.0 83.6 85.9
Wisconsin 1,429,331 1,369,084 1,367,667   1,581,690 1,537,180 1,517,725   90.4 89.1 90.1
Wyoming 126,931 116,217 117,952   138,619 131,810 132,103   91.6 88.2 89.3
 
Puerto Rico 794,579 NA 868,650   1,049,995 1,069,617 1,077,981   75.7 NA 80.6
 

NA = not available

SOURCES: Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (various years); and American Community Survey (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008
Excel.Source Data
previous page.Return to Indicators List
Right-click on image to save.
print.PrintCloseclose.
CloseClose.