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Chapter 8. State Indicators

Higher Education

Postsecondary degree holders among individuals 25–44 years old



Findings

  • The early- to mid-career population with a post-secondary degree was 39.2% nationwide in 2009, an increase from 34.7% in 2000.
  • In 2009, the percentage of this cohort with a postsecondary degree varied greatly among states, ranging from 28.3% to 52.6%.
  • Between 2000 and 2009, all states showed an increase in the percentage of their early- to mid-career population with a postsecondary degree, ranging from nearly 1% to almost 10% over the time period.
  • States with the lowest cost of living tended to rank lowest on this indicator.


Description

This indicator represents the percentage of the early- to mid-career population that has earned a postsecondary degree. That degree may be an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. The indicator represents where postsecondary degree holders live rather than where they were educated. The age cohort of 25–44 years represents the group most likely to have completed a post-secondary program.

Estimates of educational attainment and of the population of individuals 25-44 years old are provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Small differences in the value of this indicator between states and across time generally are not meaningful.

Data Table

Table 8-30
Postsecondary degree holders among individuals 25–44 years old, by state: 2000, 2005, and 2009
 
  Postsecondary degree holders 25–44 years old   Individuals 25–44 years old   Postsecondary degree holders/individuals 25–44 years old (%)
State 2000 2005 2009   2000 2005 2009   2000 2005 2009
 
United States 29,471,612 31,382,831 32,606,255   85,040,251 83,257,116 83,096,278   34.7 37.7 39.2
Alabama 370,196 389,490 405,826   1,288,527 1,231,043 1,235,509   28.7 31.6 32.8
Alaska 61,646 58,631 61,366   203,522 191,837 197,248   30.3 30.6 31.1
Arizona 472,901 552,805 608,775   1,511,469 1,695,189 1,826,751   31.3 32.6 33.3
Arkansas 177,657 202,622 216,126   750,972 747,630 755,915   23.7 27.1 28.6
California 3,670,622 3,892,099 4,024,498   10,714,403 10,668,824 10,604,180   34.3 36.5 38.0
Colorado 596,036 636,437 654,274   1,400,850 1,388,046 1,445,400   42.5 45.9 45.3
Connecticut 443,608 432,451 426,214   1,032,689 951,020 899,649   43.0 45.5 47.4
Delaware 84,170 87,994 92,531   236,441 234,823 232,837   35.6 37.5 39.7
District of Columbia 90,097 103,236 121,521   189,439 190,118 197,983   47.6 54.3 61.4
Florida 1,513,345 1,694,517 1,761,941   4,569,347 4,787,948 4,789,059   33.1 35.4 36.8
Georgia 884,108 1,013,471 1,039,426   2,652,764 2,746,294 2,830,740   33.3 36.9 36.7
Hawaii 136,758 129,858 157,298   362,336 354,560 360,037   37.7 36.6 43.7
Idaho 112,690 121,718 135,622   362,401 375,247 400,329   31.1 32.4 33.9
Illinois 1,444,942 1,530,725 1,553,736   3,795,544 3,611,958 3,544,995   38.1 42.4 43.8
Indiana 537,644 562,483 603,097   1,791,828 1,716,726 1,689,050   30.0 32.8 35.7
Iowa 289,740 317,772 331,841   808,259 746,659 734,622   35.8 42.6 45.2
Kansas 282,475 289,848 297,294   769,204 713,752 717,645   36.7 40.6 41.4
Kentucky 317,109 353,170 385,497   1,210,773 1,172,770 1,162,402   26.2 30.1 33.2
Louisiana 316,348 340,337 358,275   1,293,128 1,217,593 1,186,325   24.5 28.0 30.2
Maine 122,958 123,129 122,981   370,597 344,295 322,409   33.2 35.8 38.1
Maryland 672,460 693,317 713,321   1,664,677 1,611,882 1,557,085   40.4 43.0 45.8
Massachusetts 942,748 932,197 939,443   1,989,783 1,857,726 1,787,350   47.4 50.2 52.6
Michigan 982,169 1,013,031 946,696   2,960,544 2,743,365 2,536,880   33.2 36.9 37.3
Minnesota 631,677 684,727 688,731   1,497,320 1,420,387 1,394,305   42.2 48.2 49.4
Mississippi 208,866 231,759 226,353   807,170 771,676 761,785   25.9 30.0 29.7
Missouri 517,750 543,130 582,137   1,626,302 1,566,374 1,554,391   31.8 34.7 37.5
Montana 81,428 85,590 94,468   245,220 226,076 231,769   33.2 37.9 40.8
Nebraska 185,090 202,182 202,445   487,107 453,659 451,666   38.0 44.6 44.8
Nevada 152,536 193,902 226,510   628,572 719,501 769,608   24.3 26.9 29.4
New Hampshire 156,434 161,161 153,958   381,240 357,080 333,694   41.0 45.1 46.1
New Jersey 1,076,450 1,114,215 1,101,798   2,624,146 2,485,721 2,363,679   41.0 44.8 46.6
New Mexico 149,398 153,406 164,083   516,100 510,063 523,059   28.9 30.1 31.4
New York 2,359,507 2,499,314 2,566,265   5,831,622 5,548,409 5,351,598   40.5 45.0 48.0
North Carolina 844,019 933,034 1,004,796   2,500,535 2,485,963 2,553,673   33.8 37.5 39.3
North Dakota 71,509 73,974 77,223   174,891 151,681 153,582   40.9 48.8 50.3
Ohio 1,075,353 1,098,912 1,115,603   3,325,210 3,122,259 2,998,151   32.3 35.2 37.2
Oklahoma 276,525 296,769 298,455   975,169 929,451 957,235   28.4 31.9 31.2
Oregon 333,963 361,760 401,129   997,269 988,164 1,028,645   33.5 36.6 39.0
Pennsylvania 1,230,548 1,269,457 1,326,259   3,508,562 3,280,173 3,187,617   35.1 38.7 41.6
Rhode Island 117,758 127,598 120,458   310,636 296,463 274,622   37.9 43.0 43.9
South Carolina 357,570 389,378 425,929   1,185,955 1,172,501 1,200,366   30.2 33.2 35.5
South Dakota 73,128 82,619 80,521   206,399 194,122 196,143   35.4 42.6 41.1
Tennessee 489,940 521,417 579,010   1,718,428 1,698,113 1,710,134   28.5 30.7 33.9
Texas 1,973,279 2,112,582 2,312,816   6,484,321 6,665,252 7,064,651   30.4 31.7 32.7
Utah 222,534 276,707 302,339   626,600 686,668 775,481   35.5 40.3 39.0
Vermont 70,277 68,447 68,179   176,456 158,184 148,584   39.8 43.3 45.9
Virginia 874,239 925,208 970,871   2,237,655 2,194,670 2,194,699   39.1 42.2 44.2
Washington 693,591 739,976 782,873   1,816,217 1,783,093 1,855,094   38.2 41.5 42.2
West Virginia 115,337 125,231 130,226   501,343 468,846 459,606   23.0 26.7 28.3
Wisconsin 566,244 596,923 595,646   1,581,690 1,495,775 1,449,006   35.8 39.9 41.1
Wyoming 44,235 42,115 49,575   138,619 127,487 139,035   31.9 33.0 35.7
                       
Puerto Rico 358,595 424,718 412,249   1,049,995 1,076,844 1,084,239   34.2 39.4 38.0
 

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

Science and Engineering Indicators 2012
Source Data

State Data Tool

The state data tool allows interactive exploration of the 58 indicators in this chapter. Users have the ability to choose and explore a single indicator in-depth, compare multiple indicators for preselected groups, customize their own graphics, or download data tables. Click the button below to get started.

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Chapter 8
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