West Virginia

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

The Census reports on the level of education attained by adults age 25 and older. Our elderly population grew up in a time when education attainment was typically lower, and college attendance was less widespread. As this population is succeeded by younger and increasingly well-educated cohorts, the percent of the population that has attained higher levels of education slowly increases. Not only has the number of diplomas and degrees increased, but their percentage in the population has also increased, indicating a growth in attainment greater than the relative growth in national population.

Educational Attainment in Population 25 Years and Over, 1990-2000
1990 2000
Number Percent of Total Number Percent of Total
Total Population Age 25+ 1,171,766 100.00% 1,233,581 100.00%
Less than 9th grade 196,319 16.75% 123,622 10.02%
Some high school, no diploma 202,208 17.26% 182,192 14.77%
High school graduate* 429,123 36.62% 486,334 39.42%
Some college, no degree 155,089 13.24% 205,025 16.62%
Associate degree 44,509 3.80% 53,448 4.33%
Bachelor's degree 88,136 7.52% 109,651 8.89%
Graduate or professional degree 56,382 4.81% 73,309 5.94%

* "High school graduate" includes people with the G.E.D. and similar equivalents.

Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN).

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