Educational Attainment
An educated population is one of the most important components of a vital, healthy state. In this light Virginia does quite well, increasing its citizens' level of education attainment in every category and surpassing the national average in high school and baccalaureate degrees or higher.
Why is This Important?
Educational attainment measures the education level of people currently living in a particular area. It is a long-term indicator of the investment that a state or region has made in developing and attracting human capital. This indicator provides a "big picture" assessment of a state's or region's quality of life, workforce preparedness and economic potential.
How is Virginia Doing?
Virginia's educational attainment is slightly above the national average in terms of individuals with a high school education, but well above average for individuals with higher education. In 2007, Virginia ranked 28th in the nation for the highest percentage of its adult population (25 years or older) with at least a high school degree, but 6th for adults with at least a bachelor's degree. In Virginia, 85.9 percent of adults had at least a high school degree in 2007, exceeding the national average of 84.5 percent. Neighboring states Tennessee (81.4%), North Carolina (83%), and Maryland (87.4%) performed well, but Wyoming led the nation at 91.2 percent high school graduation.
The
percentage of the adult
population with at least
a bachelor's degree increased
from 31.7 percent in
2002 to 33.6 percent
in 2007, exceeding the
national rate of 27.5
percent. Comparing rates
of individuals with at
least a bachelor's degree,
Virginia is behind Maryland's
rate of 35.2 percent,
but above North Carolina
(25.6%) and Tennessee
(21.8%). Massachusetts
led the states in 2007
with a rate of 37.9 percent
of residents with a
bachelor's degree or
above.
Educational attainment increased in every region across Virginia between 1990 and 2000. All regions increased both their high school- and college-educated population, with the Northern and Hampton Roads regions having the highest high school-educated population, and the Northern and Central regions having the highest college-educated populations.
What Influences Educational Attainment?
A number of factors influence educational attainment, including availability of educational services, the quality of those services, responsiveness of educational institutions to the particular needs of a community or region, affordability, regional culture, economic opportunity, and migration into and out of the state.
What is the State's Role?
The state's role is to:
- Ensure that adequate infrastructure exists.
- Provide programs that promote educational attainment.
- Provide career services and awareness of occupational-related education, skills, and training.
- Increase economic opportunity by facilitating a good business climate.
Data Definitions and Sources
State Graphs
American Community Survey
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GRTSelectServlet?ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&_lang=en
(updated annually in December)
Regional Graphs
U.S. Census
Bureau
www.census.gov/
(updated with national census every 10 years)
See the Data Sources and Updates Calendar for a detailed list of the data resources used for indicator measures on Virginia Performs.
