DeeLuo

BofengChen
IsharaLareef
LaurenShaffer

DataAnalysisAssignment2:EducationalAttainment
Thisdataanalysisassignmentfocusesonthedifferentlevelsofeducationalattainment
achievedbypersonssurveyedbytheUnitedStatesCensusBureau.Educationalattainmentrefers
tothehighestgradeofschoolcompletedorthehighestdegreereceivedinregularschool,
whichisschoolingthatadvancesonetoahigherlevelofeducationordegree(DC:Definitions).
Thefirstpartoftheanalysisconcernsthesimilaritiesanddifferencesofyearsofschool
completedbysexandagegroups.Then,thedifferencesbetweenagegroups,gender,andrace
werestudiedwithinthecontextofhighschoolandcollegecompletion.Thesecondpartofthe
analysisstudiedthedifferencesindegreesobtained,withafocusonthetrendsandchanges
betweentheyearsofthesurveythatwereincludedinthedatasuppliedbytheU.S.Census
Bureau.
Section1:YearsofSchoolCompleted:1940to2014(TableA1,A2)
Inthissection,wewillanalyzetablesA1andA2fromtheU.S.CensusBureau,which
examinetheeducationreceivedbypeople25andoveracrossdifferentages,sexes,andraces.To
begin,welookedatTableA1,titledYearsofSchoolCompletedbyPeople25YearsandOver,
byAgeandSex:SelectedYears1940to2014.Thistabletakesitsdatafroma
noninstitutionalizedpopulation,whichisdefinedbytheBureauofLaborStatisticsasthe
civilianpopulationexcludingpersonsresidingininstitutions.Suchinstitutionsconsistprimarily
ofnursinghomes,prisons,jails,mentalhospitals,andjuvenilecorrectionalfacilities(DC:

NationalTermsandDefinitions).Inthistable,YearsofSchoolissplitintoElementary,High
School,andCollege.Forthecombinedsexesaged25yearsandolder,thereisanobservable
trendthatsince1940,thenumberofpeoplecompletingboth1to3yearsofcollege,4ormore
yearsofcollege,and4ormoreyearsofhighschoolissteadilyincreasing.Specifically,when
comparingtheyears1940and2014,thereisovera60millionnumberdifferenceinthenumber
ofpeoplewhohavecompleted4ormoreyearsofcollege.However,anopposite,steadydecrease
isseenforthecombinedsexeswhenlookingatcompleting0to4yearsofelementaryschooland
5to8yearsofelementaryschool.For1to3yearsofhighschool,thecombinedsexes
experiencedaninitialincreasefrom1940to1972,butthensawagradualdecreaseto2014.
Thesetrendsremaintruewhenlookingattheindividualsexesforbothmaleandfemale.
Furthermore,whenlookingatindividualsexes,weseethatbesidestheexceptionof1940,
femaleshaveintotalmorepeopleeveryyearcompletingsometypeofschoolingthanmen.
However,forbothmalesandfemales,therehasbeenasteadyincreaseinthenumberofpeople
withsometypeofschoolingeachyear(DC:TableA1).

Whenbreakingdownthedatafurtherintoagegroupsof25to34yearsold,35to54

yearsold,and55ormoreyearsold,wecanobservesomedifferencesinschoolingbetweenthe
groups.Forexample,in2014,most25to34yearoldshadcompleted4ormoreyearsofcollege,
whilemost55ormoreyearoldshadcompleted4yearsofhighschool.Also,in2014,thereisa
largegapbetweenthenumberof25to34yearoldfemalescompleting4yearsofhighschool
comparedtothenumberoffemalescompleting4yearsormoreofcollege(withmorefemales
completing4ormoreyearsofcollege).However,thislargegapofabout3.5millionpeopleis
notseeninthemale25to34yearoldpopulation.Asimilargaptrendisobservedin35to54

yearoldfemalesandmales,withthefemalegapbeingaround4millionandthemalegapbeing
lessthan1million.Interestingly,thereisalsoanotherlargegapbetweenthenumberof55or
moreyearoldfemales(butnotmales)completing4yearsofhighschoolcomparedtothose
completing4ormoreyearsofcollege,butwithmorefemalescompletinghighschoolthan
college(DC:TableA1).

Anotherinterestingtrendisthatthenumberofpeopleaged25to34years(combined

sexes)whohavecompleted4yearsofhighschoolincreasedfrom1940to1989,andthen
decreasedfrom1989to2014.Thispeakofhighschoolcompletioninthelate1980s/early1990s
wasalsoshowninbothmalesandfemalesaged25to34yearsold.However,thispeakofhigh
schoolcompletionwasnotshownforpeopleofeithersexinboth35to54yearoldsand55year
oldsandoverbecausehighschoolcompletiongraduallyincreasedforthosegroupsfrom1940to
2014(DC:TableA1).
Next,wewillexamineTableA2,PercentofPeople25YearsandOverWhoHave
CompletedHighSchoolorCollege,byRace,HispanicOrigin,andSex:SelectedYears1940to
2014.DatagatheredinthistablebytheU.S.CensusBureauEducationandSocialStratification
Branchonlyexaminesthoseinnoninstitutionalizedpopulationswhohavecompleted4yearsof
highschoolor4yearsofcollege.Thedataisfurthersubdividedintorace,sex,andthespecific
agegroupof25to29yearsofage.RaceisbrokendownintothecategoriesofNonHispanic
White,Black,Asian,andHispanic.TheWhitecategoryincludesbothNonHispanicWhitesand
HispanicsandthereforediffersfromtheNonHispanicWhitesubcategory.TheHispanic
categoryisnotracespecificbecausethecensusconsidersHispanicanethnicity,notarace.
GenderisclassifiedbyselfidentifiedMaleandFemale(DC:TableA2).

Examiningthedata,itisdemonstratedthatacrossallracesandgenders,thepercentageof
people25yearswhohavecompleted4yearsofhighschoolormorehasincreasedfrom1940to
2014.Whileonly24.5%ofpeople25yearsandoldersummedacrossallracesandgendershad
completed4yearsofhighschoolormorein1940,thepercentageofpeople25yearsandolder
totalwhocompleted4yearsofhighschoolormoreincreasedto88.3%in2014.Likewise,the
percentageofpeople25yearsandolderwhohavecompleted4yearsormoreofcollegesummed
acrossallracesandgendersincreasedfrom4.6%in1940to32.0%in2014.Itisalsoworthyto
notethatthepercentagesofpeople25yearsandolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofhigh
schoolormore,thehighestofwhichis93.7%ofNonHispanicWhiteFemales,isconsistently
higherthanthepercentagesofpeople25yearsandolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollege
ormore,thehighestofwhichis54.7%ofAsianMales(DC:TableA2).
Comparingeducationalattainmentacrossgendersrevealsthatforthesumofallraces,the
percentageoffemales25andolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofhighschoolormoreandthe
percentageoffemales25andolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeandmoreislower
thantherespectivepercentagesofmales25andolderwhohavecompletedrespective
educationalsectionsin1940.However,thepercentageoffemalesovertakesthepercentageof
malesastimepasses.For25yearoldssummedacrossraceswhohavecompleted4yearsofhigh
schoolormore,thepercentageoffemalesequalsthepercentageofmalesin1999andthen
overcomesitin2001andbeyond.For25yearoldssummedacrossraceswhohavecompleted4
yearsofcollegeormore,thepercentageoffemalesovercomesthepercentageofmalesin2014
(DC:TableA2).

Thistrendoffemalesovertakingmalesisseeninallracesubcategoriesexceptforfour
exceptions,Asiansinbotheducationalcategories,Whiteincollegecompletion,and
NonHispanicWhiteincollegecompletion.ForAsians,thepercentageoffemales25yearsand
olderwhohavecompleted4yearsofhighschoolormoreandthepercentageoffemales25years
andolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormoreneverovertakesthepercentageof
maleslikewisecompleting4yearsofhighschooland4yearsofcollege.ForWhites,the
percentageoffemales25yearsandolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeislessthanthe
percentageofmales25yearsandolderwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormorebefore
2013,butin2014,thepercentagesareequalat32.3%.ForNonHispanicWhites,thepercentage
offemales25yearsorolderwhohavecompleted4ormoreyearsofcollegeneverovercomesthe
percentageofmales25yearsorolderwhohavecompleted4ormoreyearsofcollege,butfor4
ormoreyearsofcompletionforhighschool,thepercentageofNonHispanicWhitefemales
(88.9%)overcomesthepercentageofNonHispanicWhitemalesin2002(88.5%).All
observationsreferbacktoDC:TableA2.
Itisinterestingtonotethatforthesubsectionofspecifically25yearoldsto29yearolds,
theseexceptionsdonotholdandthetrendoffemalesovertakingmalesisdemonstratedinthese
threeraces.ForAsians,thepercentageoffemales25yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohave
completed4yearsofhighschoolormore(95.7%)overtakesthepercentageofmales25years
oldto29yearsoldwhohavecompleted4yearsofhighschoolormore(93.6%)in2013andthe
percentageoffemales25yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeor
more(62.3%)overtakesthepercentageofmales25yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohave
completed4yearsofcollegeormore(60.9%)in2003.ForWhites,thepercentageoffemales25

yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormore(24.3%)overtakesthe
percentageofmales25yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormore
(24.2%)in1990.ForNonHispanicWhites,thepercentageoffemales25yearsoldto29years
oldwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormore(27.4%)overtakesthepercentageofmales
25yearsoldto29yearsoldwhohavecompleted4yearsofcollegeormore(26.8%)in1994.
Whilethesexgapisstillpresent,closerexaminationofthedatashowsreversalsinthe2529
yearoldagegroupthatwerenotpresentinthe25yearsormorecategory(DC:TableA2).
Section2:DetailedYearsofSchoolCompleted:20002013(TableA4)
Thesecondportionoftheeducationalattainmentanalysesstudiesthedetailedyearsof
schoolcompletedbypeople25yearsandoverintheyears2000to2014.Thedatausedforthis
sectionisfromTableA4,DetailedYearsofSchoolCompletedbyPeople25YearsandOver:
2000to2013,whichwasacquiredfromtheUnitedStatesCensusBureau.
Thisfirstparagraphexamineselementaryandhighschoolcompletion.Amongthe
th
209,287civiliannoninstitutionalizedindividualssurveyedin2014,1.3%completed12
grade
th
withoutadiploma.Incontrast,only0.6%ofthepopulationsurveyedhadcompleted12
grade

andreceivedaGED.Overall,26.7%oftheindividualssurveyedin2014hadeverreceiveda
highschooldiploma(DC:TableA4).Thispercentageislowerthanthepercentageoftotal
individualswhohadahighschooldiplomasurveyedineachprecedingyearstartingin2000.
Next,thefocusisonGEDattainment.Withinthegroupofindividualssurveyedduring
the2014surveyyearthatindicatedthattheyhadreceivedtheirGED,thesubgroupthathadthe
th
greatestpercentageofindividualsreceivingtheirGEDwerethosewhohadcompletedthe11

th
grade.1.1%ofindividualssurveyedreceivedtheirGEDuponcompletingthe11
grade.This

percentageis
higher
thanthepercentageofindividualswhoreceivedtheirGEDuponcompleting
th
th
the10
grade,0.8%,andthe12
grade,0.6%.Thelowestpercentagesofindividualswho
th
th th
receivedaGEDin2014werethosecompleting9
grade(0.4%)and7
8
grade(0.2%)(DC:

TableA4).TherewereindividualswhoreceivedtheirGEDuponcompletingoneyearof
th
schoolingoranygradeuptothe6
grade,butthepercentagesofthesesubgroupsroundedto

zeropercent.
Wenowidentifydifferencesinhighereducationalattainment.TableA4classifies
associatesdegreesaseithervocationaloracademic.Amongthoseindividualsinterviewedin
2014,0.4%hadcompletedfourormoreyearsofcollegeandreceivedanassociatesdegree
classifiedasvocational.0.7%ofallindividualssurveyedinthesameyearhadanassociates
degreeclassifiedasacademicandhadcompletedfourormoreyearsofcollege.0.4%had
completedthreeyearsofcollegeforavocationalassociatesdegree2.7%hadcompletedtwo
years,0.6%hadcompletedoneyear,and0.3%hadcompletedlessthanoneyearofcollegefora
vocationaldegree.Thesepercentagesaresimilartopreviousyearsofsurveyscompleted.Among
allyearssurveyed,thegreatestpercentageofindividualswhohadcompletedsomecollegefora
vocationaldegree,ifany,hadcompleteduptotwoyearsthepercentagesofpeoplewhohad
completedmorethantwoyearsofcollegedroppedafterthetwoyearmark.Thistrendcarries
overforachievementofanacademicassociatesdegree,forwhich3.7%hadcompletedtwo
yearsofcollege,0.1%hadcompletedoneyearofcollege,and0.7%hadcompletedthreeyears.
Thistrendforacademicassociatesdegreetranscendseachyearstartingin2000andendingin
2014.14.9%ofallpeoplesurveyedhadabachelorsdegreeonly(DC:TableA4).

ThisportionhadtodowithMasters,Professional,andDoctoratedegrees.Outofthese
threecategories,aMastersdegreewastheprofessionaldegreeheldbythegreatestamountof
peoplesurveyedin2014.2.4%ofthepopulationhadcompletedaMastersdegreeprogramthat
wasthreeyearsorlonger5.5%hadcompletedatwoyearMastersprogram,and0.7%had
completedaoneyearMastersprogram.ThetwoandthreeyearMastersprogrambothhada
greaterpercentageofpeoplewhohadcompletedthemthaneithertheProfessionalorDoctorate
degree.Only1.5%ofthepopulationsurveyedhadaProfessionaldegree,while1.8%hada
Doctoratedegree.Thesetrendsoccurineachyearbeginningin2000andendingin2014(DC:
TableA4).
Now,theanalysiswillbelookingatthedatabetweentheyearsof2000and2014for
individuals25andovercompletingschoolingbeginningwithelementaryorhighschool,
includingnodiploma,GED,andhighschooldiploma.Forthosewhocompleted5th,6th,7th,
8th,9th,10th,or11thgradeandreceivednodiploma,thereisasteadydecreaseinpercentages
from2000to2014.Therewasabouta0.45%dropforthosewhocompletedanygradebetween
5thand9thgradefrom2000to2014,andthelargestdropwas0.8%for10thand11thgraders.
Thepercentageofthosewhocompletedlessthan1yearor1st4thgradeofschoolingwithouta
diplomaremainedfairlyconstantoverthefourteenyeartimespan.Thepercentagewho
completed12thgradewithoutadiplomafluctuatedconsiderablyoverthefourteenyears,but
overalltherewasaslightlyhigherpercentagein2014,1.3%,comparedto2000,1.1%.There
werenopercentagesforthosewhocompletedlessthanoneyearoranygradesbetween1stand
6thgradeandreceivedaGED,exceptin2012for1stto4thgradetherewas0.1%.The
percentageofpeoplewhocompleted5th,6th,7th,8th,or9thgradeandachievedaGED

remainedconsistentbetween2000and2014.Thepercentagefor10thgradewithaGEDwasthe
highestin2000at0.9%.Thepercentagebegandroppingin2007toitslowestpercentagein2010
at0.5%.Itimmediatelybouncedbackin2011to0.7%andincreasedto0.8%in2014.For11th
gradewithaGED,thepercentagedroppedfromitsmaximumof1.1%toitsminimumof0.8%
betweentheyears20082010,butthenincreasedbackto1.1%between2011and2014.The
percentagesfor12thgradewithaGEDwastheonlygradetoincreaseovertimefromasteady
0.4%in20002010to0.6%in2014.Surprisingly,therewasasteadydeclineovertimeinthe
percentageofthosewhoreceivedahighschooldiploma.In2000,therewere30.1%of
individualsandin2000only26.7%ofindividuals(DC:TableA4).
Thenextportionofthisyeartoyearanalysiswillexaminethecompletionofcollege.The
percentageofindividuals25yearsandolderwhocompletedoneyearofcollegewithnodegree
generallydeclinedfrom2000at5.7%to2007at5.4%.However,therewasalarge0.6%increase
between2007and2008,andthenasteadydeclinebetween2009and2014backto5.4%in2014.
Thepercentageofthosewhocompletedthreeyearsofcollegewithnodegreeexperienceda
small,steadydeclinefrom2000at2.1%,untila0.2%increasein2012,followedbya0.2%
decreasein2013.Thepercentageofthosewhowenttocollegeforlessthanoneyearultimately
decreased0.3%between2000and2014,whilethepercentageforfouryearsofcollegeormore
withnodegreeremainedroughlyconstant(DC:TableA4).Thelevelofoneseducational
attainmentdictatesonesworklifeearnings(Julian:2).Worklifeearningsreferstohowmuch
moneyonemakesoverthespanofacareer(Julian:1).Thereisa$1millionworklifeearnings
differencebetweenthosewhoobtainahighschooldiplomaandthosewhoobtainacollege
degree,whichisasignificantdisparity(Julian:2).Additionally,oneschoiceinmajoroften

predictsworklifeearnings.Forexample,peoplewhomajorincollegeinengineering,mathand
computers,science,andbusinesstendtoearnmorethantheaverageworklifeearningsof$2.4
million(Julian:3).Thislikelyreflectsthefindingsthatpeoplewhomajoredinbusiness,science,
math,orengineeringhavehigherpercentagesofpeopleemployedfulltime,yearroundas
comparedtothosewhomajoredinthearts,literature,andlanguages(Ryan:1).In2011,66.6%
ofpeopleworkinginthefieldofscienceandengineeringhadafulltime,yearroundjobwith
only16.9%ofpeopleinthesefieldsworkinglessthanfulltime,yearround.However,therewas
only46%ofpeopleinthefieldofartsandhumanitieswhohadfulltime,yearroundjobs,while
26.4%ofpeopleworkedlessthanfulltime,yearround(Ryan:2).Thisshowsasignificance
differenceinthepercentageofpeopleworkingfulltime,yearroundjobsbetweenscienceand
engineeringfieldsandartsandhumanities.
ThenweexaminethedifferencesbetweenavocationalAssociatesdegree,anacademic
one,andaBachelorsdegree.ForthevocationalAssociatesdegree,thosewhocompletedless
thanoneyearofcollege,oneyearofcollege,threeyearsofcollege,orfourormoreyearsof
collegeremainedfairlyconstantbetween2000and2014.Fortwoyearsofcollege,
vocational/associates,therewasanoverall0.3%increasefrom2000to2014.Thehighest
percentageofpeoplewhocompletedtwoyearswasbetween2005and2008.Similarlytothe
vocationalAssociatesdegree,thepercentageofpeopleover25whocompletedlessthanone
yearofcollege,oneyearofcollege,orthreeyearsofcollegefortheacademicAssociatesdegree
remainedconstantoverthefourteenyearspan.Therewasaverysignificantincreaseofthose
whocompletedthreeyearsofcollegefortheacademicAssociatesdegree,beginningat2.4%in
2000to3.7%in2014.Forfourormoreyearsofcollege,academic/associates,thepercentageof

10

completionremainedconstantuntiltherewasa0.2%increasein2011,whichincreaseanother
0.1%in2013.ThepatternforpeoplewhocompletedaBachelorsdegreewasinteresting.The
percentageincreasedsubstantiallyfrom12.2%in2000to14.8%in2008.Therewasasmall
0.2%dropin2009,thenabigincreasebackto15.1%in2010.Followedbyalargepercentage
dropin2011to14.3%.Thepercentageagainincreasedto14.4%in2013andthento14.9%in
2014(DC:TableA4).
ThenextpartfocusedongraduateschoolwithandwithoutaMastersdegree.The
percentageofthose25andolderwhocompletedlessthanoneyearofgraduateschoolwithno
Mastersdegreeexperiencedaslightdeclineof0.3%from2000to2014.Foroneormoreyears
ofgraduateschoolwithnoMastersdegreeremainedconstantuntiltherewasaslight0.3%
increasefrom2006to2007thena0.4%decreasein2008.Therewasalargeincreasefrom2010
of2.9%to3.7%in2011andthenanotherincreaseof0.5%in2012.Thepercentagedecreasedin
2013and2014.ThepercentageofthosewhocompletedaMastersdegreeoneyearprogram
remainedprettyconstant.ThelargestincreasehappenedforthetwoyearMastersprogram.The
percentageincreasedfrom3.6%in2000to5.5%in2014.Thelargestincreasewas0.4%
between2007and2008.ThepercentageofthosewhocompletedathreeormoreyearMasters
programalsoincreasedovertime,butnotassignificantlyasthetwoyearone.Therewasan
increasefrom1.6%in2000to2.4%in2014(DC:TableA4).
ThelastportionofthisanalysisfocusesonobtainingaProfessionalorDoctoratedegree.
Thepercentageofpeopleover25whocompletedaProfessionaldegreeremainedveryconstant
between2000and2014atabout1.5%.Therewasanoticeableincreaseovertimeforthe
percentageofthosewhocompletedaDoctoratedegree.In2000,therewere1.2%ofpeoplewho

11

completedthisdegree,whilein2014therewere1.8%,whichisanoverall0.6%increaseoverthe
fourteenyeartimespan(DC:TableA4).Thereisanadditional$1millionworklifeearnings
differencebetweenthosewhoobtainacollegedegreeandthosewhoobtainadoctoratedegree
(Julian2).Thisdemonstrateshowtheleveltowhichonechoosestoeducatehimself/herselfcan
greatlyaffectonesoverallmeansofliving.
Conclusion
ThesecomparisonsmadefromthesurveyspublishedbytheU.S.CensusBureauprovide
abaselineunderstandingofsomeoftheeducationalattainmenttrendsinthepopulationofpeople
aged25yearsandolderintheUnitedStates.However,withoutfurtherresearchandother
outsidesources,itisimpossibletopinpointtheexactcausesofthenotedcorrelations,andwould
beinappropriatetoattributeacertaincorrelationtoonecausalreason.

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Commerce,n.d.Web.1Apr.2015.
Julian,Tiffany."WorkLifeEarningsbyFieldofDegreeandOccupationforPeopleWitha
BachelorsDegree:2011."AmericanCommunityServiceBriefs.U.S.CensusBureau,
Oct.2012.Web.1Apr.2015.
NationalTermsandDefinitions.UnitedStatesCensusBureau,Web.16

Feb.2015.

Ryan,Camille."FieldofDegreeandEarningsbySelectedEmploymentCharacteristics:2011."
AmericanCommunitySurveyBriefs.U.S.CensusBureau,Oct.2012.Web.2Apr.2015.
TableA1.YearsofSchoolCompletedbyPeople25YearsandOver,byAgeandSex:

SelectedYears1940to2014.
U.S.CensusBureau
.U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,
2014.Web.1Apr.2015.

TableA2.PercentofPeople25YearsandOverWhoHaveCompletedHighSchool

orCollege,byRace,HispanicOriginandSex:SelectedYears1940to2014.

U.S.CensusBureau
.U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,2014.Web.6Apr.2015.

TableA4.DetailedYearsofSchoolCompletedbyPeople25YearsandOver:2000to2013.
U.S.CensusBureau
.U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,2014.Web.6Apr.2015.

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