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Question of the Month -July 2004
Q: How do Southern states stack up in
educational attainment?
A: Southern states continue to lag behind the
nation in the percent of students earning high school diplomas or bachelor’s
degrees or higher, but the region has made marked improvements over the past
decade. The table below summarizes data for the region from 1990 and 2003.
Educational
Attainment in the South, 1990 and 2003
|
State |
National Rank High School Diplomas 2003 |
Total 25 years and over |
High school graduate or higher
Percent |
Bachelor's degree or higher
Percent |
|
1990 |
2003 |
1990 |
2003 |
|
Missouri |
18 |
3,637 |
73.9 |
88.3 |
17.8 |
26.6 |
|
Virginia |
20 |
4,623 |
75.2 |
87.8 |
24.5 |
34.2 |
|
Maryland |
21 |
3,545 |
78.4 |
87.6 |
26.5 |
37.2 |
|
National Average |
|
|
79.1 |
86.0 |
22 |
26.7 |
|
Oklahoma |
33 |
2,214 |
74.6 |
85.7 |
17.8 |
24.3 |
|
Georgia |
35 |
5,468 |
70.9 |
85.1 |
19.3 |
25.0 |
|
Florida |
36 |
11,266 |
74.4 |
84.7 |
18.3 |
25.8 |
|
Kentucky |
39 |
2,673 |
64.6 |
82.8 |
13.6 |
21.3 |
|
Regional Average |
|
|
69.9 |
82.7 |
17.5 |
24.1 |
|
North Carolina |
41 |
5,409 |
70 |
81.4 |
17.4 |
23.8 |
|
Mississippi |
42 |
1,742 |
64.3 |
81.2 |
14.7 |
19.3 |
|
Tennessee |
45 |
3,700 |
67.1 |
81.0 |
16 |
23.5 |
|
Arkansas |
46 |
1,743 |
66.3 |
80.9 |
13.3 |
17.4 |
|
South Carolina |
47 |
2,591 |
68.3 |
80.8 |
16.6 |
22.3 |
|
Alabama |
48 |
2,948 |
66.9 |
79.9 |
15.7 |
22.7 |
|
Louisiana |
49 |
2,763 |
68.3 |
79.8 |
16.1 |
22.3 |
|
West Virginia |
50 |
1,222 |
62.7 |
78.7 |
11.7 |
15.3 |
|
Texas |
51 |
13,231 |
72.1 |
77.2 |
20.3 |
24.7 |
Sources: U.S. Census
Bureau: 1990 Census of Population, Education in the United States;
Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2003.
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