In 2008, only 38% of adults had a credential beyond high school.
See how far we've come. (1:46 teaser)
Video Runtime:
1:46 Webinar rebroadcast from Feb. 5
The next chapter of A Stronger Nation: From progress to payoff
National data journalist Steve Kornacki, one of the country’s most trusted voices on data and trends joined Lumina Foundation for a special edition of its A Stronger Nation webinar. Full webinar, 36 minutes
Featured webinar highlights
Key moments from the webinar
Steve Kornacki helps make sense of the data
Steve Kornacki segment only
Video Runtime:
6:50 Q&A with Jeff Strohl
Jeff Strohl, Director at the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce
Video Runtime:
22:54 A Stronger Nation
Credentials of Value
Explore how post-high school education connects to higher wages, economic mobility, and a stronger future for all Americans.
Latest
Proving higher education’s promise: We increased attainment. Now, to show value.
Every year, the release of new Stronger Nation data offers a snapshot of where the country stands on education after high school. This year’s release feels different.
News Release
Lumina releases initial data tracking whether nation educated, trained for economic prosperity
New baseline shows 43.6 percent of U.S. adults in the labor force have degrees or other credentials with economic value; the goal is 75 percent by 2040.
Related
Stronger Nation news
Proving higher education’s promise: We increased attainment. Now, to show value.
Every year, the release of new Stronger Nation data offers a snapshot of where the country stands on education after high school. This year’s release feels different.
Lumina releases initial data tracking whether nation educated, trained for economic prosperity
New baseline shows 43.6 percent of U.S. adults in the labor force have degrees or other credentials with economic value; the goal is 75 percent by 2040.
America is slipping in higher education. The slide starts long before college.
Once a global leader in higher education, the United States now finds itself spending more than nearly all of its peer nations while delivering outcomes that fall increasingly short of expectations.
America’s investment in education is lagging — and the workforce pays the price
America once led the world, but the global economy is evolving, and other nations are surging ahead. We must recommit to innovation and training.
Degrees of impact: Redefining the value of higher ed
At the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis gave a LightningX keynote on increasing the value of higher education.
Lumina Foundation sets new national goal to expand and elevate higher education and workforce training by 2040
Lumina Foundation has announced a bold new goal to increase the number of Americans with education and training beyond high school: By 2040, 75 percent of working-age adults in the U.S. labor force will have college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity.
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Report: Nevada worst state for post-high school credentials of value
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Lumina Measures New Goal: Do Higher Ed Degrees Yield Economic Payoffs
Forbes | Feb 6, 2026
A new Lumina report finds that 43.6% of adults in the labor force have a college degree or certificate and earn at least 15% more than the average high school graduate.
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Lumina Foundation issues new challenge for education, training attainment
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette | Feb 6, 2026
The Lumina Foundation on Thursday launched a redesigned website and an aggressive goal meant to boost household income nationwide.
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43.6%: The baseline for Lumina’s new ‘credentials of value’ measure
Community College Daily - American Association of Community Colleges | Feb 5, 2026
Last spring, Lumina Foundation announced a new national goal to steer more Americans toward good-paying jobs: By 2040, 75% of adults in the U.S. workforce should have a college degree or credential of...
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