BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : FEBRUARY 5, 2001 ISSUE
ECONOMIC TRENDS Education Hasn't Lost Its Luster Schooling levels inch ever higher The educational attainment of young adults in the U.S. continues to edge higher, reports the Census Bureau. Based on early 2000 survey data, some 88% of 25- to 29-year-olds are high school graduates, the same as last year, but up from 86% in 1995. Meanwhile, the share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree hit 29%, the highest level recorded. Only a decade earlier, just 23% were college grads. Young adults do exhibit significant educational differences by sex and race. At last count, some 61% of females age 25 to 29 had attended some college, compared with 55% of males; and 30% of women had four-year degrees, vs. 28% of men. Among young whites, 64% had some college courses under their belt, vs. 51% of African Americans. Nearly 34% had a college degree, vs. just 15% of young blacks. The most highly educated are young Asians and Pacific Islanders. As of early 1999, 78% had attended college, and 51% had earned bachelor's degrees. By GENE KORETZ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _					RELATED ITEMS Education Hasn't Lost Its Luster CHART: Sheepskins in Demand INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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