Annual Reports and Information Staff (Annual Reports)
Population Characteristics and Economic Outcomes

Educational Attainment of Young Adults

Last Updated: May 2023
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Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school increased by 19 percentage points (from 69 percent to 88 percent). Between 2010 and 2022, the gap in educational attainment rates between White and Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds narrowed for those who had completed at least high school, an associate’s or higher degree, and a bachelors or higher degree.
Educational attainment is the level of education completed by the time of the survey (reported here as at least high school completion,1 an associate’s or higher degree, a bachelor’s or higher degree, or a master’s or higher degree). Between 2010 and 2022, educational attainment rates among 25- to 29-year-olds increased at each attainment level. During this period, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school increased from 89 to 95 percent, the percentage with an associate’s or higher degree increased from 41 to 49 percent, the percentage with a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 32 to 40 percent, and the percentage with a master’s or higher degree increased from 7 to 10 percent. Although educational attainment rates increased over this period for both males and females and among most racial/ethnic groups, attainment gaps persisted in 2022.

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Attainment and Attainment Gaps by Race/Ethnicity
Figure 1. Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2022
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