Higher Education

Bachelor's Degrees Conferred per 1,000 Individuals 18–24 Years Old: 2005

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  • 1st quartile
    (130.5–59.1)
  • 2nd quartile
    (58.8–51.2)
  • 3rd quartile
    (49.9–43.2)
  • 4th quartile
    (42.8–20.3)

Quartiles

Bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 individuals 18–24 years old: 2005
 
1st quartile
(130.5–59.1)		 2nd Quartile
(58.8–51.2)		 3rd Quartile
(49.9–43.2)		 4th Quartile
(42.8–20.3)
 
Arizona Colorado Alabama Alaska
Delaware Connecticut Idaho Arkansas
District of Columbia Indiana Illinois California
Iowa Kansas Kentucky Florida
Massachusetts Maine Louisiana Georgia
Missouri Michigan Maryland Hawaii
Nebraska Minnesota North Carolina Mississippi
New Hampshire Montana Oklahoma Nevada
North Dakota New York Oregon New Jersey
Pennsylvania Ohio South Carolina New Mexico
Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas
Utah West Virginia Virginia Wyoming
Vermont Wisconsin Washington  
 
SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (various years); Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; and Population Estimates Program (various years). See Data Table.

Findings

  • In 2005, 1.42 million bachelor's degrees were conferred nationally in all fields, up from 1.17 million in 1996.
  • Over the past decade, the ratio of bachelor's degrees conferred to the 18–24-year-old population has remained essentially constant.
  • In 2005, there was great variability among states in undergraduate educational opportunities relative to the size of their youthful population. Across the states, a range of 20.3 to 84.4 bachelor's degrees were conferred per 1,000 18–24-year-olds; the District of Columbia was nearly 131 (an outlier reflecting a large concentration of academic institutions relative to the size of the resident population).
  • In 18 states, the number of bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 18–24-year-olds decreased between 1996 and 2005.

Description

Earning a bachelor's degree gives people greater opportunities to work in higher-paying jobs than are generally available to those with less education; it also prepares them for advanced education. In addition, the capacity to produce degrees may generate resources for the state. The ratio of bachelor's degrees awarded to a state's 18–24-year-old population is a broad measure of a state's relative success in producing degrees at this level. The 18–24-year-old cohort was chosen to approximate the age range of most students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree.

Although the number of bachelor's degrees awarded is based on an actual count, the population of 18–24-year-olds is an estimate developed by the Census Bureau in the Population Estimates Program, which relies on the Decennial Census. This estimate may make the value of this indicator imprecise for jurisdictions with small populations.

A high value for this indicator may suggest the successful provision of educational opportunity at this level. Student and graduate mobility after graduation, however, may make this indicator less meaningful in predicting the qualifications of a state's future workforce. The indicator's value may also be high when a higher education system draws a large percentage of out-of-state students, a situation that sometimes occurs in states with small resident populations and the District of Columbia.

Data Table

Table 8-15
Bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 individuals 18–24 years old, by state: 1996, 2001, and 2005
 
  Bachelor's degrees   Population 18–24 years old   Degrees/1,000
individuals
18–24 years old
State 1996 2001 2005    1996 2001 2005    1996 2001 2005
 
United States 1,165,138 1,241,507 1,420,043 24,842,610 27,998,931 29,333,266 46.9 44.3 48.4
Alabama 20,133 20,654 21,388   437,421 448,725 448,894   46.0 46.0 47.6
Alaska 1,497 1,343 1,427   64,682 60,394 70,429   23.1 22.2 20.3
Arizona 18,822 25,509 34,915   417,142 536,708 576,725   45.1 47.5 60.5
Arkansas 9,099 9,628 11,186   247,651 268,747 270,471   36.7 35.8 41.4
California 108,604 118,552 139,417   2,982,515 3,487,649 3,726,736   36.4 34.0 37.4
Colorado 20,043 21,698 24,936   354,247 449,661 459,040   56.6 48.3 54.3
Connecticut 13,814 14,249 16,835   261,580 282,433 313,202   52.8 50.5 53.8
Delaware 4,330 4,466 5,220   65,107 78,501 83,016   66.5 56.9 62.9
District of Columbia 7,787 8,113 9,169   45,801 72,372 70,265   170.0 112.1 130.5
Florida 46,274 49,914 60,434   1,168,986 1,399,219 1,572,959   39.6 35.7 38.4
Georgia 27,322 28,481 35,086   728,478 865,538 903,396   37.5 32.9 38.8
Hawaii 4,696 4,772 5,127   116,166 118,324 123,584   40.4 40.3 41.5
Idaho 4,489 4,646 7,235   130,028 144,632 149,739   34.5 32.1 48.3
Illinois 52,222 55,938 59,611   1,111,306 1,242,578 1,274,718   47.0 45.0 46.8
Indiana 30,571 31,854 36,579   571,520 627,241 623,312   53.5 50.8 58.7
Iowa 17,669 18,577 20,418   269,324 302,946 311,451   65.6 61.3 65.6
Kansas 14,873 15,014 16,565   249,744 281,504 292,984   59.6 53.3 56.5
Kentucky 14,674 15,460 17,905   397,201 409,650 395,618   36.9 37.7 45.3
Louisiana 17,989 19,854 21,199   459,805 484,149 490,354   39.1 41.0 43.2
Maine 5,619 5,429 6,485   110,955 108,029 117,048   50.6 50.3 55.4
Maryland 20,873 22,891 25,685   427,478 473,697 526,277   48.8 48.3 48.8
Massachusetts 40,681 42,717 45,623   511,122 593,001 625,908   79.6 72.0 72.9
Michigan 44,371 45,790 50,565   921,950 957,339 986,126   48.1 47.8 51.3
Minnesota 23,117 23,128 27,869   418,324 486,487 516,133   55.3 47.5 54.0
Mississippi 9,983 11,232 11,681   299,031 316,573 311,137   33.4 35.5 37.5
Missouri 27,251 30,083 33,838   495,615 552,843 572,472   55.0 54.4 59.1
Montana 4,622 5,016 5,177   85,538 88,639 94,488   54.0 56.6 54.8
Nebraska 9,889 10,788 11,993   161,398 178,383 188,583   61.3 60.5 63.6
Nevada 3,417 4,101 5,029   133,106 189,705 207,871   25.7 21.6 24.2
New Hampshire 7,660 7,266 8,111   94,357 108,106 121,124   81.2 67.2 67.0
New Jersey 24,572 26,948 31,987   668,453 696,100 747,332   36.8 38.7 42.8
New Mexico 6,048 5,959 6,580   169,870 186,485 205,017   35.6 32.0 32.1
New York 96,429 100,010 112,475   1,602,205 1,820,985 1,919,224   60.2 54.9 58.6
North Carolina 32,795 34,767 39,289   699,477 816,974 822,150   46.9 42.6 47.8
North Dakota 4,484 4,688 5,161   66,272 74,916 80,276   67.7 62.6 64.3
Ohio 48,865 51,026 56,993   1,052,052 1,081,211 1,112,156   46.4 47.2 51.2
Oklahoma 14,412 15,789 17,922   328,471 367,634 375,095   43.9 42.9 47.8
Oregon 13,159 13,452 16,296   287,641 337,895 341,623   45.7 39.8 47.7
Pennsylvania 61,840 67,041 78,044   1,039,419 1,121,633 1,191,907   59.5 59.8 65.5
Rhode Island 8,788 8,468 9,811   84,855 109,933 116,201   103.6 77.0 84.4
South Carolina 14,998 16,676 19,256   381,672 418,585 420,351   39.3 39.8 45.8
South Dakota 4,603 4,363 4,921   73,421 79,589 83,635   62.7 54.8 58.8
Tennessee 20,659 22,712 25,770   510,638 563,333 557,703   40.5 40.3 46.2
Texas 70,765 76,037 88,000   1,947,117 2,280,525 2,421,692   36.3 33.3 36.3
Utah 15,275 16,775 19,565   265,713 329,723 326,302   57.5 50.9 60.0
Vermont 4,492 4,671 4,841   51,912 58,647 62,424   86.5 79.6 77.6
Virginia 30,914 32,895 36,747   649,086 697,925 737,118   47.6 47.1 49.9
Washington 22,492 23,271 27,571   505,840 581,479 605,063   44.5 40.0 45.6
West Virginia 8,582 8,704 9,572   186,316 174,936 167,236   46.1 49.8 57.2
Wisconsin 26,934 28,415 30,839   483,384 535,174 562,611   55.7 53.1 54.8
Wyoming 1,641 1,677 1,695   51,218 51,476 54,090   32.0 32.6 31.3
 
Puerto Rico 14,110 15,762 16,669   NA 426,194 411,575   NA 37.0 40.5
 

NA = not available

SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (various years); Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; and Population Estimates Program (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008
Excel.Source Data
  • 1st quartile
    (130.5–59.1)
  • 2nd quartile
    (58.8–51.2)
  • 3rd quartile
    (49.9–43.2)
  • 4th quartile
    (42.8–20.3)

Quartiles

Bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 individuals 18–24 years old: 2005
 
1st quartile
(130.5–59.1)		 2nd Quartile
(58.8–51.2)		 3rd Quartile
(49.9–43.2)		 4th Quartile
(42.8–20.3)
 
Arizona Colorado Alabama Alaska
Delaware Connecticut Idaho Arkansas
District of Columbia Indiana Illinois California
Iowa Kansas Kentucky Florida
Massachusetts Maine Louisiana Georgia
Missouri Michigan Maryland Hawaii
Nebraska Minnesota North Carolina Mississippi
New Hampshire Montana Oklahoma Nevada
North Dakota New York Oregon New Jersey
Pennsylvania Ohio South Carolina New Mexico
Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas
Utah West Virginia Virginia Wyoming
Vermont Wisconsin Washington  
 
SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (various years); Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; and Population Estimates Program (various years). See Data Table.

Findings

  • In 2005, 1.42 million bachelor's degrees were conferred nationally in all fields, up from 1.17 million in 1996.
  • Over the past decade, the ratio of bachelor's degrees conferred to the 18–24-year-old population has remained essentially constant.
  • In 2005, there was great variability among states in undergraduate educational opportunities relative to the size of their youthful population. Across the states, a range of 20.3 to 84.4 bachelor's degrees were conferred per 1,000 18–24-year-olds; the District of Columbia was nearly 131 (an outlier reflecting a large concentration of academic institutions relative to the size of the resident population).
  • In 18 states, the number of bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 18–24-year-olds decreased between 1996 and 2005.

Description

Earning a bachelor's degree gives people greater opportunities to work in higher-paying jobs than are generally available to those with less education; it also prepares them for advanced education. In addition, the capacity to produce degrees may generate resources for the state. The ratio of bachelor's degrees awarded to a state's 18–24-year-old population is a broad measure of a state's relative success in producing degrees at this level. The 18–24-year-old cohort was chosen to approximate the age range of most students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree.

Although the number of bachelor's degrees awarded is based on an actual count, the population of 18–24-year-olds is an estimate developed by the Census Bureau in the Population Estimates Program, which relies on the Decennial Census. This estimate may make the value of this indicator imprecise for jurisdictions with small populations.

A high value for this indicator may suggest the successful provision of educational opportunity at this level. Student and graduate mobility after graduation, however, may make this indicator less meaningful in predicting the qualifications of a state's future workforce. The indicator's value may also be high when a higher education system draws a large percentage of out-of-state students, a situation that sometimes occurs in states with small resident populations and the District of Columbia.

Data Table

Table 8-15
Bachelor's degrees conferred per 1,000 individuals 18–24 years old, by state: 1996, 2001, and 2005
 
  Bachelor's degrees   Population 18–24 years old   Degrees/1,000
individuals
18–24 years old
State 1996 2001 2005    1996 2001 2005    1996 2001 2005
 
United States 1,165,138 1,241,507 1,420,043 24,842,610 27,998,931 29,333,266 46.9 44.3 48.4
Alabama 20,133 20,654 21,388   437,421 448,725 448,894   46.0 46.0 47.6
Alaska 1,497 1,343 1,427   64,682 60,394 70,429   23.1 22.2 20.3
Arizona 18,822 25,509 34,915   417,142 536,708 576,725   45.1 47.5 60.5
Arkansas 9,099 9,628 11,186   247,651 268,747 270,471   36.7 35.8 41.4
California 108,604 118,552 139,417   2,982,515 3,487,649 3,726,736   36.4 34.0 37.4
Colorado 20,043 21,698 24,936   354,247 449,661 459,040   56.6 48.3 54.3
Connecticut 13,814 14,249 16,835   261,580 282,433 313,202   52.8 50.5 53.8
Delaware 4,330 4,466 5,220   65,107 78,501 83,016   66.5 56.9 62.9
District of Columbia 7,787 8,113 9,169   45,801 72,372 70,265   170.0 112.1 130.5
Florida 46,274 49,914 60,434   1,168,986 1,399,219 1,572,959   39.6 35.7 38.4
Georgia 27,322 28,481 35,086   728,478 865,538 903,396   37.5 32.9 38.8
Hawaii 4,696 4,772 5,127   116,166 118,324 123,584   40.4 40.3 41.5
Idaho 4,489 4,646 7,235   130,028 144,632 149,739   34.5 32.1 48.3
Illinois 52,222 55,938 59,611   1,111,306 1,242,578 1,274,718   47.0 45.0 46.8
Indiana 30,571 31,854 36,579   571,520 627,241 623,312   53.5 50.8 58.7
Iowa 17,669 18,577 20,418   269,324 302,946 311,451   65.6 61.3 65.6
Kansas 14,873 15,014 16,565   249,744 281,504 292,984   59.6 53.3 56.5
Kentucky 14,674 15,460 17,905   397,201 409,650 395,618   36.9 37.7 45.3
Louisiana 17,989 19,854 21,199   459,805 484,149 490,354   39.1 41.0 43.2
Maine 5,619 5,429 6,485   110,955 108,029 117,048   50.6 50.3 55.4
Maryland 20,873 22,891 25,685   427,478 473,697 526,277   48.8 48.3 48.8
Massachusetts 40,681 42,717 45,623   511,122 593,001 625,908   79.6 72.0 72.9
Michigan 44,371 45,790 50,565   921,950 957,339 986,126   48.1 47.8 51.3
Minnesota 23,117 23,128 27,869   418,324 486,487 516,133   55.3 47.5 54.0
Mississippi 9,983 11,232 11,681   299,031 316,573 311,137   33.4 35.5 37.5
Missouri 27,251 30,083 33,838   495,615 552,843 572,472   55.0 54.4 59.1
Montana 4,622 5,016 5,177   85,538 88,639 94,488   54.0 56.6 54.8
Nebraska 9,889 10,788 11,993   161,398 178,383 188,583   61.3 60.5 63.6
Nevada 3,417 4,101 5,029   133,106 189,705 207,871   25.7 21.6 24.2
New Hampshire 7,660 7,266 8,111   94,357 108,106 121,124   81.2 67.2 67.0
New Jersey 24,572 26,948 31,987   668,453 696,100 747,332   36.8 38.7 42.8
New Mexico 6,048 5,959 6,580   169,870 186,485 205,017   35.6 32.0 32.1
New York 96,429 100,010 112,475   1,602,205 1,820,985 1,919,224   60.2 54.9 58.6
North Carolina 32,795 34,767 39,289   699,477 816,974 822,150   46.9 42.6 47.8
North Dakota 4,484 4,688 5,161   66,272 74,916 80,276   67.7 62.6 64.3
Ohio 48,865 51,026 56,993   1,052,052 1,081,211 1,112,156   46.4 47.2 51.2
Oklahoma 14,412 15,789 17,922   328,471 367,634 375,095   43.9 42.9 47.8
Oregon 13,159 13,452 16,296   287,641 337,895 341,623   45.7 39.8 47.7
Pennsylvania 61,840 67,041 78,044   1,039,419 1,121,633 1,191,907   59.5 59.8 65.5
Rhode Island 8,788 8,468 9,811   84,855 109,933 116,201   103.6 77.0 84.4
South Carolina 14,998 16,676 19,256   381,672 418,585 420,351   39.3 39.8 45.8
South Dakota 4,603 4,363 4,921   73,421 79,589 83,635   62.7 54.8 58.8
Tennessee 20,659 22,712 25,770   510,638 563,333 557,703   40.5 40.3 46.2
Texas 70,765 76,037 88,000   1,947,117 2,280,525 2,421,692   36.3 33.3 36.3
Utah 15,275 16,775 19,565   265,713 329,723 326,302   57.5 50.9 60.0
Vermont 4,492 4,671 4,841   51,912 58,647 62,424   86.5 79.6 77.6
Virginia 30,914 32,895 36,747   649,086 697,925 737,118   47.6 47.1 49.9
Washington 22,492 23,271 27,571   505,840 581,479 605,063   44.5 40.0 45.6
West Virginia 8,582 8,704 9,572   186,316 174,936 167,236   46.1 49.8 57.2
Wisconsin 26,934 28,415 30,839   483,384 535,174 562,611   55.7 53.1 54.8
Wyoming 1,641 1,677 1,695   51,218 51,476 54,090   32.0 32.6 31.3
 
Puerto Rico 14,110 15,762 16,669   NA 426,194 411,575   NA 37.0 40.5
 

NA = not available

SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (various years); Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census; and Population Estimates Program (various years).

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