College Degrees Reach New Record

The number of Americans with college degrees has skyrocketed to its highest point on record after two decades of sluggish growth, a new report reveals. As of last year, 33.5 percent of Americans held a bachelor's degree, up from 24.7 percent in 1995 and 21.9 percent in 1975. Two-year degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates have also risen. The shifting picture is due to the past several years of recession, which made jobs difficult to find, as well as the emergence of new types of jobs that require more education. College completion has risen more quickly in the past decade for young women than for men, and has increased significantly among young black and Hispanic Americans.