King County

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+ 1,017,973 100.00% 1,188,740 100.00%
Less than 9th grade 38,097 3.74% 40,702 3.42%
Some high school, no diploma 81,581 8.01% 75,026 6.31%
High school graduate* 232,192 22.81% 227,931 19.17%
Some college, no degree 253,611 24.91% 280,812 23.62%
Associate degree 78,118 7.67% 89,321 7.51%
Bachelor's degree 232,103 22.80% 316,451 26.62%
Graduate or professional degree 102,271 10.05% 158,497 13.33%

* "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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