Education levels are on the rise in the United States. According to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 79.9 million American adults - 35% of the nation's 25 and older population - have a bachelor's degree or higher. As recently as five years ago, fewer than 33% of American adults had a bachelor's degree.
A college education has long been a key driver of upward economic mobility in the United States. However, enrollment costs at colleges and universities have soared in recent years, making a four-year postsecondary education prohibitively expensive for many working- and middle-class families.
Cost is not the only factor to consider before attending college. The chosen career path is another. For some business owners and those pursuing a career in the trades, the military, law enforcement, or public safety, a bachelor's degree may not be necessary. Regardless of personal considerations, in some parts of the country, Americans are far less likely to have a four-year college degree than in others. (Here is a look at the highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree.)
In Oklahoma, an estimated 27.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the 35% share nationwide and the eighth lowest among all states.
Nationwide, median earnings among workers with a bachelor's degree stood at $61,073 in 2021, compared to $35,019 among working adults with no more than a high school diploma. Due in part to lower-than-average bachelor's degree attainment rates, the median earnings among all working adults in Oklahoma is $40,163 a year, less than the comparable national median of $45,943.
All income and education data in this story is from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey. Annual unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
RankStateAdults with a bachelor's degree or higher (%)Median annual earnings, all working adults, 2021 ($)2021 unemployment rate (%)1West Virginia24.139,4495.02Mississippi24.837,1485.63Arkansas25.337,9364.04Louisiana26.440,5625.55Kentucky27.040,4484.76Alabama27.440,3623.47Nevada27.641,2377.28Oklahoma27.940,1633.89Indiana28.942,9553.610Wyoming29.241,8984.511New Mexico30.139,8266.812Tennessee30.541,1814.313Iowa30.544,6444.214Idaho30.740,8003.615Ohio30.743,7945.1
via Oklahoma's Center Square News