Why is the educational attainment rate important to Lumina Foundation’s mission?
The United States risks an unprecedented shortage of college-educated workers in coming years. The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems estimates the need to educate nearly 800,000 more college graduates each year from now through 2025 to meet the growing needs of the workforce. Lumina’s goal is to increase the higher education attainment rate of the United States to 60 percent by the year 2025. We must work harder—and faster—to educate enough college graduates to sustain the vitality of our local communities and the nation’s economy.
Levels of Education
for the U.S. Population
AGES 25-64- 12.8%Less than high school
- 27.1%High school graduate (or equivalency)
- 22.2%Some college, no degree
- 8.4%Associate degree
- 19.0%Bachelor’s degree
- 10.5%Graduate or professional degree
U.S. Attainment Rates
By Population Group
AGES 25-64- 42.2%White
- 26.2%Black
- 18.6%Hispanic
- 59.2%Asian
- 22.5%Native American
Reaching the Big Goal
| State | Current percentage of adults with college degrees (2008) | Additional degrees needed to reach the Big Goal | Additional degrees needed annually | Annual percentage increase needed |
| Alabama » | 31.6 | 664,131 | 4,883 | 7.1 |
| Alaska » | 36.3 | 92,662 | 681 | 8.9 |
| Arizona » | 34.4 | 1,120,884 | 8,242 | 7.7 |
| Arkansas » | 26.5 | 508,567 | 3,739 | 8.3 |
| California » | 38.6 | 4,745,448 | 34,893 | 6.7 |
| Colorado » | 45.3 | 397,973 | 2,926 | 4.6 |
| Connecticut » | 46.6 | 249,543 | 1,835 | 4.9 |
| Delaware » | 37.0 | 111,623 | 821 | 6.3 |
| Florida » | 36.8 | 2,843,880 | 20,911 | 7.0 |
| Georgia » | 36.2 | 1,346,524 | 9,901 | 7.8 |
| Hawaii » | 42.3 | 116,790 | 859 | 5.6 |
| Idaho » | 34.8 | 229,610 | 1,688 | 7.2 |
| Illinois » | 40.8 | 1,273,954 | 9,367 | 5.4 |
| Indiana » | 33.4 | 877,737 | 6,454 | 6.3 |
| Iowa » | 38.8 | 305,775 | 2,248 | 4.1 |
| Kansas » | 40.5 | 272,085 | 2,001 | 5.0 |
| Kentucky » | 29.2 | 692,515 | 5,092 | 7.5 |
| Louisiana » | 27.0 | 756,375 | 5,562 | 8.2 |
| Maine » | 36.8 | 167,905 | 1,235 | 6.5 |
| Maryland » | 43.9 | 548,409 | 4,032 | 5.9 |
| Massachusetts » | 49.6 | 362,193 | 2,663 | 3.3 |
| Michigan » | 35.6 | 1,322,257 | 9,722 | 6.3 |
| Minnesota » | 45.0 | 457,057 | 3,361 | 4.7 |
| Mississippi » | 29.3 | 460,850 | 3,389 | 7.3 |
| Missouri » | 34.9 | 776,922 | 5,713 | 6.1 |
| Montana » | 37.6 | 112,354 | 826 | 6.4 |
| Nebraska » | 40.5 | 164,124 | 1,207 | 4.6 |
| Nevada » | 30.1 | 575,389 | 4,231 | 10.1 |
| New Hampshire » | 46.0 | 114,649 | 843 | 4.7 |
| New Jersey » | 44.6 | 764,904 | 5,624 | 6.1 |
| New Mexico » | 33.4 | 258,032 | 1,897 | 7.0 |
| New York » | 43.7 | 1,604,405 | 11,797 | 4.4 |
| North Carolina » | 36.9 | 1,283,782 | 9,440 | 7.1 |
| North Dakota » | 45.2 | 42,784 | 315 | 3.1 |
| Ohio » | 34.9 | 1,443,143 | 10,611 | 6.4 |
| Oklahoma » | 31.3 | 516,906 | 3,801 | 6.6 |
| Oregon » | 38.6 | 493,150 | 3,626 | 6.8 |
| Pennsylvania » | 37.9 | 1,394,238 | 10,252 | 5.5 |
| Rhode Island » | 41.4 | 107,363 | 789 | 4.0 |
| South Carolina » | 34.4 | 619,241 | 4,553 | 7.3 |
| South Dakota » | 39.4 | 76,469 | 562 | 5.0 |
| Tennessee » | 31.3 | 991,518 | 7,291 | 7.9 |
| Texas » | 33.3 | 3,969,133 | 29,185 | 8.0 |
| Utah » | 40.2 | 286,080 | 2,104 | 4.5 |
| Vermont » | 43.6 | 58,161 | 428 | 4.4 |
| Virginia » | 43.4 | 765,755 | 5,631 | 5.6 |
| Washington » | 42.0 | 737,264 | 5,421 | 5.9 |
| West Virginia » | 25.6 | 305,174 | 2,244 | 7.0 |
| Wisconsin » | 38.0 | 668,822 | 4,918 | 6.0 |
| Wyoming » | 36.0 | 61,375 | 451 | 5.7 |
| US » | 37.9 | 37,914,259 | 278,781 | 6.3 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
