California

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+ 18,695,499 100.00% 21,298,900 100.00%
Less than 9th grade 2,085,905 11.16% 2,446,324 11.49%
Some high school, no diploma 2,364,623 12.65% 2,496,419 11.72%
High school graduate* 4,167,897 22.29% 4,288,452 20.13%
Some college, no degree 4,225,911 22.60% 4,879,336 22.91%
Associate degree 1,484,489 7.94% 1,518,403 7.13%
Bachelor's degree 2,858,107 15.29% 3,640,157 17.09%
Graduate or professional degree 1,508,567 8.07% 2,029,809 9.53%

* "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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