Hechinger Report: Number of Americans with college degrees growing more slowly than advocates want

Slow rate of growth threatens to leave a gap of 20 million degree-holders by 2025

I NDIANAPOLIS—Seven years after setting out to significantly increase the proportion of the population with degrees, the nation is making very slow progress, according to new figures.

The percentage of Americans who have earned college and university degrees rose from 40 percent to 40.4 percent last year toward a goal of 60 percent by 2025, the Lumina Foundation, which is backing the effort, announced at a conference here to update policymakers and advocates.

That’s up 2.4 percentage points since the goal was set in 2008. At this rate, the number of people with degrees by 2025 will fall 19.8 million short, Lumina estimates.

  • edCircuit is a mission-based organization entirely focused on the K-20 EdTech Industry and emPowering the voices that can provide guidance and expertise in facilitating the appropriate usage of digital technology in education. Our goal is to elevate the voices of today’s innovative thought leaders and edtech experts. Subscribe to receive notifications in your inbox

    View all posts
EdCircuit Staff

edCircuit is a mission-based organization entirely focused on the K-20 EdTech Industry and emPowering the voices that can provide guidance and expertise in facilitating the appropriate usage of digital technology in education. Our goal is to elevate the voices of today’s innovative thought leaders and edtech experts. Subscribe to receive notifications in your inbox

Recent Posts

Phishing Incident Response: A District Playbook

Phishing incident response is the moment a school district moves from professional-development slides to real-world…

7 hours ago

Career and Technical Education Through a Parent’s Eyes

Career and Technical Education often changes the future not just for students, but for the…

1 day ago

Safety Training That Sticks in Real Classrooms

Safety training determines what happens in the first ten seconds Safety training is often measured…

2 days ago

Driving K–12 Innovation in 2026: What Leaders Must Know

K–12 innovation is entering a defining moment as district technology leaders juggle competing priorities: piloting…

2 days ago

College Decision Next Steps After Acceptance

College decision next steps become urgent each February as acceptance letters turn anticipation into action.…

5 days ago

African Americans Who Shaped Safety in Science Education

This Black History Month, we celebrate African Americans who shaped safety in science education, shaping…

6 days ago