States With The Lowest Percentage Of College Degree Holders

[divideandconquer]

States With The Lowest Percentage Of College Degree Holders

According to a new report (PDF) released by the Lumina Foundation for Education, America still falls short of the educational attainment goal outlined by the foundation in 2008 -- for 60 percent of adults to hold high-quality degrees by 2025. As the report details, America's educational achievement has stalled compared to the rest of the world:

As is now well known, the U.S. has fallen from first in the world in the proportion of adults that hold two- or four-year college degrees to fourth. Even more worrisome is that, among young adults -- those between the ages of 25 and 34, the U.S. is no better than tied for 10th, and now trails nations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Each year for at least the past four, the U.S. has fallen in these comparisons. In almost all other developed nations, attainment rates are increasing -- in many cases dramatically and to levels significantly above ours. As a result, ours is one of the very few nations in the world in which younger adults are not better educated than older adults.

Currently, 37.9 percent of American adults have degrees. According to the report, the U.S. would have to increase the number of degrees awarded every year by 278,000 to reach the 2025 goal.
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<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/least-educated-states_n_733348.html#s142824>

No surprise red states dominate this list.

[foxfeet]

1. In WV, many are too poor to afford tuition.

Younger people tend to enlist in the military or leave the state altogether.

[Newsjock]

2. America continues its intellectual and economic decline

Practically every other malady afflicting our nation is a symptom of these two problems. This isn't about "having a college degree" or "being rich"; it's about having the basic educational foundation to function effectively and critically in 21st-century society, regardless of one's choice of work or lifestyle. And we are failing miserably.

And I find that, as this decline continues, the random interactions of everyday life are becoming much more frustrating, as we deal with increasing numbers of people who -- out of futility, desperation, anger, and/or hopelessness -- have simply checked out of having any meaningful role in this nation.

[ShadowLiberal]

3. Is it any wonder why given the republican agenda

Not surprising considering...

1) The GOP mocks well educated for being 'elitist' (see their attacks on Kerry) and tries to make a culture of it somehow being wrong to be smart enough to question them (which is what more and more college educated are doing lately, the GOP's support among the well educated has been steadily eroding for years).

2) The GOP took over the economy under Bush and let middle class wages stagnate, being eaten up by stuff like raising health care costs each year, leaving less money for college, that also raises in costs faster then inflation.

For starters what we need to do to turn a trend like that around is to motivate people more, and convince people why it's important to not be a high school drop out.

[HereSince1628]

4. No problem, just redefine "high-quality degree"

this is simply an administrative and marketing problem.

As long as there are loans to be given and interest and penalties to be collected, high attendance rates rather than quality attendees will be the goal.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. We have a LOT of universities in texas.

The state system alone has a lot of campuses. I guess since I have an associate's degree, a B.A. and a doctorate (Juris Doctor), I make up for several uneducated Texans.