The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data on educational attainment in the United States for 2024, providing a detailed look at education levels among adults aged 18 and older. The findings are based on statistics from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
According to the report, 42.8% of people between ages 25 and 39 held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2024. Among those aged 40 to 54, the figure was 41.5%, while for those age 55 and older it was 34.2%. When comparing by gender, the data shows that 40.1% of women and 37.1% of men age 25 and older had earned at least a bachelor’s degree.
The survey also examined educational attainment among employed workers. In 2024, nearly half (49.3%) of employed workers had a high school diploma or associate degree as their highest level of education, while 44.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Only 6.1% did not have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Looking at specific occupations, the data found that “76.5% of people who worked in professional and related occupations and 64.2% of people in management, business and financial occupations held a bachelor’s degree or higher.” Additionally, “the occupation with the highest percentage of high school diploma or associate degree holders was installation, maintenance and repair (78.3%).” In terms of industries, “the industry with the highest percentage of workers with a high school diploma or associate degree was transportation and utilities (67.5%). The industries with the highest percentage of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher were information (64.9%) and education and health services (61.2%).”
The Current Population Survey is sponsored by both the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, serving as the main source for national labor force statistics.
All comparative statements in this release have been statistically tested for significance at the ten percent level.
