Post-high school educational attainment in the U.S. has reached a record high, with 54.9% of working-age adults holding a degree or credential in 2023, according to
The data tool and report A Stronger Nation released on Thursday shows a look at national, state and local attainment trends, with the 2023 report highlighting a steady increase in attainment across race, ethnicity, and credential type.
“In 2008, Lumina set a goal for the nation, that by 2025, 60% of people in the U.S. would have a degree or other high-quality credential, and so we've been tracking progress for this ever since setting that goal in a really transparent, clear way on A Stronger Nation,” said Dr. Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina.
According to the report, the figure of post-high school educational attainment of Americans ages 25 to 64 has increased from 37.9% in 2008 to 54.9% in 2023, an increase of 17 percentage points, but not enough to reach 60% by 2025.
“I think we have made incredible progress…,” Brown said. “I do think we will continue to see increases in attainment, but we have to continue to focus our efforts on that,” said Brown. “We have to continue to promote practices and policies that increase access, increase success, so that we don't continue to have 42 million people in the United States who have some college, no degree.”
In the past year, 42 states and Puerto Rico saw attainment gains, with five states—Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Minnesota, and Connecticut—achieving or exceeding the 60% goal. The District of Columbia (D.C.) also surpassed the 60% attainment goal. In the past 15 years, Utah, Arizona, Indiana and D.C. have achieved the most significant growth among states, with Puerto Rico experiencing the highest increase of 23.5% since 2009.
A Stronger Nation breaks down attainment by degree holders—associate or bachelor’s—and those earning short-term credentials, which include college-level certificates or industry-recognized certificates. Of the 54.9% national attainment rate, 47.1% are degree holders and 7.8% are short-term credential holders.
