Share of the population age 25 or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher, by race and ethnicity, 1972–2019
| White | Non-Hispanic white | Black | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 12.6 | 5.1 | |
| 1973 | 13.1 | 6.0 | |
| 1974 | 14.0 | 5.5 | |
| 1975 | 14.5 | 6.4 | |
| 1976 | 15.4 | 6.6 | |
| 1977 | 16.1 | 7.2 | |
| 1978 | 16.4 | 7.2 | |
| 1979 | 17.2 | 7.9 | |
| 1980 | 17.8 | 7.9 | |
| 1981 | 17.8 | 8.2 | |
| 1982 | 18.5 | 8.8 | |
| 1983 | 19.5 | 9.5 | |
| 1984 | 19.8 | 10.4 | |
| 1985 | 20.0 | 11.1 | |
| 1986 | 20.1 | 10.9 | |
| 1987 | 20.5 | 10.7 | |
| 1988 | 20.9 | 11.2 | |
| 1989 | 21.8 | 11.8 | |
| 1990 | 22.0 | 11.3 | |
| 1991 | 22.2 | 11.5 | |
| 1992 | 22.1 | 11.9 | |
| 1993 | 22.6 | 23.8 | 12.2 |
| 1994 | 22.9 | 24.3 | 12.9 |
| 1995 | 24.0 | 25.4 | 13.2 |
| 1996 | 24.3 | 25.9 | 13.6 |
| 1997 | 24.6 | 26.2 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 25.0 | 26.6 | 14.7 |
| 1999 | 25.9 | 27.7 | 15.4 |
| 2000 | 26.1 | 28.1 | 16.5 |
| 2001 | 26.6 | 28.7 | 15.7 |
| 2002 | 27.2 | 29.4 | 17.0 |
| 2003 | 27.6 | 30.0 | 17.3 |
| 2004 | 28.2 | 30.6 | 17.6 |
| 2005 | 28.1 | 30.6 | 17.6 |
| 2006 | 28.4 | 31.0 | 18.5 |
| 2007 | 29.1 | 31.8 | 18.5 |
| 2008 | 29.8 | 32.6 | 19.6 |
| 2009 | 29.9 | 32.9 | 19.3 |
| 2010 | 30.3 | 33.2 | 19.8 |
| 2011 | 31.0 | 34.0 | 19.9 |
| 2012 | 31.3 | 34.5 | 21.2 |
| 2013 | 32.0 | 35.2 | 21.8 |
| 2014 | 32.3 | 35.6 | 22.2 |
| 2015 | 32.8 | 36.2 | 22.5 |
| 2016 | 33.7 | 37.3 | 23.3 |
| 2017 | 34.5 | 38.1 | 23.9 |
| 2018 | 35.2 | 38.8 | 25.2 |
| 2019 | 36.3 | 40.1 | 26.1 |
Notes: In this chart, white is inclusive of those who also report Hispanic as their ethnicity. The non-Hispanic white series was only available beginning in 1993.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970 to 2002 March Current Population Survey, 2003 to 2020 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (noninstitutionalized population, excluding members of the Armed Forces living in barracks).