Over time, Americans have become more highly educated. In 1970, 44 percent of Americans aged 25 years and older had not graduated from high school and only 4 percent had completed four years of college. By 2007, just 16 percent of Americans had not graduated from highschool and more than 17 percent had completed four years of college. In New England the number of persons aged 25 and older who had not received a high school diploma declined from 42 to 12 percent from 1970 to 2007. And, over 20 percent of New Englanders had completed four years of college in 2007 compared to just 7 percent in 1970.

Comparing New England to the nation, the region has gained an educational edge since 1970. In 1970 New England, had a greater share of high school graduates than the nation, but hosted a similar share of college graduates. By 2000, however, a larger share of New Englanders had received a higher education degree than in the U.S. as a whole. The share of college graduates in New England has continued to increase at a faster rate than the nation as a whole since 2000. Thirty five percent of the region’s population had a college degree in 2007, while fourteen percent have advanced degrees. Additional analysis of the region and nation’s share of college graduates is available in NEPPC Research Report 08-1: The Future of Skilled Labor in New England: The Supply of Recent College Graduates.