The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data on educational attainment in the United States for 2024, providing insight into the education levels of adults age 18 and older. The information comes from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which is a primary source for labor force statistics in the country.
According to the report, 42.8% of individuals ages 25 to 39, 41.5% of those ages 40 to 54, and 34.2% of people age 55 and older held at least a bachelor’s degree in 2024. The data also show that among adults age 25 and older, women were more likely than men to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher—40.1% compared with 37.1%.
Employment statistics indicate that nearly half (49.3%) of employed workers had either a high school diploma or an associate degree as their highest level of education, while another 44.5% held at least a bachelor’s degree; only 6.1% did not have a high school diploma or equivalent.
The analysis further breaks down educational attainment by occupation and industry sectors: In professional and related occupations, about three-quarters (76.5%) had earned at least a bachelor’s degree; management, business, and financial roles followed with 64.2%. By contrast, installation, maintenance, and repair jobs saw the highest proportion (78.3%) of workers holding only a high school diploma or associate degree.
In terms of industries, transportation and utilities had the largest share (67.5%) of employees whose highest credential was a high school diploma or associate degree; meanwhile, information (64.9%) as well as education and health services (61.2%) industries reported the greatest percentages of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree.
The Census Bureau notes that all comparative statements in this release are statistically significant at the ten percent significance level unless otherwise specified.
For more details about confidentiality protection measures or technical documentation regarding methodology and error types associated with these findings—including sampling practices—readers can consult resources provided by the Census Bureau.
