Bachelor's Degree Attainment Tops 30 Percent Nationwide

This week the U.S. Census Bureau reported that in March 2011 more than 30 percent of adults ages 25 and over had at least a bachelor's degree. This marks the first time that the U.S. adult population crossed this threshold. As recently as 1998, less than 25 percent of adults ages 25 and over in the U.S. held a bachelor's degree.

Here are a few additional highlights reported from the survey:

• Of the 61 million people ages 25 and over with a bachelor's degree, 30 million were men and 31 million were women.

• In 2011, 11 percent of the population ages 25 and over (or 22 million people) had an advanced degree beyond the bachelor's level.

• Among the employed population with a bachelor's or higher degree, 41 percent of males and 53 percent of females worked in professional and related occupations.

• Average earnings totaled $31,000 for those who had earnings in 2010, and whose highest education level completed was high school The average was $58,000 for those whose highest level of completion was a bachelor's degree.

More information is available in the Census news release, the survey summary of findings, or the detailed tables of results.