The educational attainment of Americans has increased in the past 20 years, according to a recently-released report from the U.S. Department of Education. The report also shows that those who are more educated are more likely to be employed and earn more money on average.
Reports
The Chronicle:
The report holds few surprises for close observers of American education, but rather offers a comprehensive overview of enrollment and attainment from early education through graduate school, as well as information on how students pay for higher education and how they fare later in the job market.
More Americans go directly from high school to college than did in the past. In 1975, just over half of high-school graduates went right on to college; in 2011, 68 percent did. But college-going patterns are linked to family income: 82 percent of students from families whose incomes are in the top 20 percent move directly into higher education, while only 52 percent of those with family incomes in the bottom 20 percent do.
Other takeaways: While women have outpaced men in terms of educational attainment, men are still more likely to earn more overall. And despite higher educational attainment in the aggregate, attainment gaps still persist by race.
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