Educational Attainment
Educational Attainment
What is educational attainment?
Educational attainment is the highest level of education a person has completed. People with more education usually earn more than people with less education. In California, 19 percent of adults over 25 do not have a high school degree, compared to 14 percent for the United States.
Why is this indicator included in CalEnviroScreen?
- People with more education are more likely to have better health and live longer.
- Studies have found that communities of more educated people are less polluted.
- Adults with less education have more pollution-related health problems. They are more likely to die from the effects of air pollution.
What measure is used in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 to evaluate educational attainment?
- The US Census Bureau's American Community Survey maintains information on the rates of educational attainment across different areas in California.
- The indicator is the percent of the population over age 25 with less than a high school education.
- The data are from the years 2015-2019.
- A complete description of the Educational Attainment indicator can be found in the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 report.
Where can I find more information about educational attainment?
- US Census Bureau: Educational Attainment
- National Center for Education Statistics: Educational Attainment of Young Adults
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Why Education Matters to Health