It
is an interesting fact that though 52.7% Americans have college educations,
only 27.2% are degree holders. This is due to the fact that though there is
considerable school drop outs, there are alternative education which offers a
diploma or a certificate easily when compared to acquiring a degree. When
compared to many other countries this figure is quite insignificant. The
percentage of students going in for higher education gets narrower. The survey,
which talks about the above mentioned facts, also quotes only 8.9% Americans of
getting a Master’s. These numbers change depending on the education an
individual obtains.
Unbelievably,
PhD holders contribute to only 3%. Although the figures mentioned are
comparably low, there has been a definite increase through the early years. For
instance, in the 40s, only 5% were degree holders. Also, among the degree
holders, women have outnumbered the men in the number of degrees acquired.
Racially too we see a lot of difference in the percentage of people who get
degrees. It has been noted and observed that the middle class and the higher
stand a better chance to get a college degree. The statistics show that 30% of
the college degrees are earned by the working class or the lower middle segment
of the people. 12% of the college degree holders are the poor. Even a factor
like geographical location makes a difference in the degree holders. The states
which lie on the eastern coast of the country have a greater turnout of degree
holders. West Virginia has the least percentage of degree holders.
Realizing
the educational situation in the country, the U.S government is arranging for
many educational programs. The educational acquisitions and the income are
correlated. To put it in a nutshell, a lot of factors influence the turnout of
degree holders like sex, race, location and the social status.
Summary:
This
article discusses the competition of college degrees in the USA.