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 11 percent had completed four years of college. By 2010, under 15 percent of Americans had not graduated from high school and nearly 28 percent had completed at least 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 11 percent from 1970 to 2010. Over 35 percent of New Englanders had completed at least four years of college in 2010 compared to just over 10 percent in 1970.

Comparing New England to the nation, the region has gained an educational advantage 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 at least a bachelor's degree in 2010, of which 15 percentage points also had 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.