Research notes [Dec. 2003A]

Educational Attainment of the Georgia Population

Introduction

Reports produced by the federal government and higher education organizations discuss

the personal and public benefits of high levels of educational attainment (i.e., a bachelor's degree

or higher). For instance, individuals with higher levels of education benefit because they tend to earn more than those with less education.1 In addition, the public benefits because college-

educated citizens engage in activities associated with good

24.3 percent of Georgians 25 years or older have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 24.4 percent nationally, giving it a rank of 22nd among the 50 states.

health, such as exercising regularly, and community involvement, such as voting in elections, more than individuals with lower levels of education.2 Thus, it is important that higher education administrators and policymakers monitor bachelor's degree completion and educational attainment at other levels that influence postsecondary enrollment. The

purpose of this research note is to describe trends in

educational attainment among Georgians aged 25 and older, compare those with national

averages, and examine factors that might influence those figures.

78.6 percent of Georgians 25 years or older, compared to 80.4 percent nationally, have at least a high school diploma. Georgia ranks 38th among the 50 states in terms of the percent of the

The United States Census Bureau defines educational attainment as the highest level of education completed either in terms of the number of years of schooling or the highest degree attained. The Census Bureau collects data on educational attainment with the Decennial Census of Population and Housing, which is administered every ten

population 25 years or older years. In between censuses, the Bureau estimates

with at least a high school educational attainment based on smaller samples using the

diploma.

Current Population Survey (CPS), which is administered

each March. See Appendix A for more information on how

the Census Bureau collects educational attainment data. In the following analysis, data from the

Decennial Census were used unless otherwise indicated.

1 Source: Day, J.C. & Newburger, E.C. (2002). The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. 2 Source: American Council on Education (ACE) Fact Sheet on Higher Education (2001) that cites Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Education Opportunity.
December 2003 Page 1 of 14

Georgia and the U.S. in 2000
As Table 1 shows, the percentage of Georgia residents with less than a high school education (21.4 percent) was slightly higher than the U.S. average (19.6 percent) in 2000. However, the percentage of Georgia residents with a bachelor's degree or higher (24.3 percent) closely resembled the U.S. average (24.4 percent).

Table 1 Educational Attainment of Population 25 Years or Older
Georgia versus U.S., 2000

Less than 9th Grade 9th to 12th Grade, No Diploma High School Diploma Only Some College, No Degree Associate Degree Bachelor's Degree Graduate or Professional Degree Total
Less than High School Diploma Bachelor's Degree and Above

Georgia

N

%

393,197 7.6%

718,152 13.8%

1,486,006 28.7%

1,058,692 20.4%

269,740 5.2%

829,873 16.0%

430,305 8.3%

5,185,965 100%

1,111,349 21.4%

1,260,178 24.3%

Nation

N

%

13,755,477 7.5%

21,960,148 12.1%

52,168,981 28.6%

38,351,595 21.0%

11,512,833 6.3%

28,317,792 15.5%

16,144,813 8.9%

182,211,639 99.9%*

35,715,625 19.6%

44,462,605 24.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 *Does not equal 100 percent because of rounding.

December 2003 Page 2 of 14

Figure 1 shows that Georgia ranks 22nd among the 50 states in terms of the percentage of the population 25 years and older with at least a bachelor's degree.

Figure 1

Percent of Population 25 Years and Older with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher: Rank of 50 States, 2000

Massachusetts Colorado Maryland
Connecticut New Jersey Virginia Vermont
New Hampshire Washington Minnesota New York California Hawaii Utah Illinois Kansas
Rhode Island Oregon
Delaware Alaska
Montana United States
Georgia Nebraska
Arizona New Mexico
Texas Maine North Carolina Wisconsin Pennsylvania Florida North Dakota Wyoming Michigan Idaho Missouri South Dakota
Iowa Ohio South Carolina Oklahoma Tennessee Indiana Alabama Louisiana Nevada Kentucky Mississippi Arkansas West Virginia
0%

33.2% 32.7% 31.4% 31.4% 29.8% 29.5% 29.4% 28.7% 27.7% 27.4% 27.4% 26.6% 26.2% 26.1% 26.1% 25.8% 25.6% 25.1% 25.0% 24.7% 24.4% 24.4% 24.3% 23.7% 23.5% 23.5% 23.2% 22.9% 22.5% 22.4% 22.4% 22.3% 22.0% 21.9% 21.8% 21.7% 21.6% 21.5% 21.2% 21.1% 20.4% 20.3% 19.6% 19.4% 19.0% 18.7% 18.2% 17.1% 16.9% 16.7% 14.8%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

December 2003 Page 3 of 14

Educational Attainment Among Georgia Counties
Appendix B shows the educational attainment of the population 25 years and over for the 159 Georgia counties in 2000. In 55 of the 159 counties, at least 33 percent of the population age 25 years and over do not have a high school diploma or the equivalent. In contrast, only eight counties have at least 33 percent of their population age 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Metropolitan counties fared better in terms of educational attainment. Only three of the 55 counties with less than 33 percent of the population age 25 and over without a high school diploma are metropolitan counties. Meanwhile, all eight of the counties with at least 33 percent of their population age 25 years and over having a bachelor's degree are metropolitan counties.
Trends in Educational Attainment
Because of the benefits of higher levels of education, decreases in the percentage of the population with less than a high school diploma and increases in the population with a bachelor's degree or higher are preferred. Also, increases in the percentage of the population with a high school diploma or its equivalent are desired only if accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of the population with less than a high school diploma or an increase among those with a bachelor's degrees or higher.
Less than a high school diploma. Since 1960, Georgia, like the rest of the U.S., experienced a decrease in the percentage of the population 25 years and over with an educational attainment level of less than a high school education. As Figure 2 shows, the percentage dropped from 68.0 percent in 1960 to 21.4 percent in 2000 for Georgia. The national average decreased from 58.9 percent in 1960 to 19.6 percent in 2000. Thus, Georgia continues to have a higher percentage of the population 25 years and over with less than a high school diploma than the U.S. average. The gap between Georgia and the U.S. average, however, has narrowed since 1980.
Figure 2
Percent of Population 25 Years and Over with Less than a High School Diploma

Percent

80% 60% 40% 20%

68.0% 58.9%

59.4% 47.7%

43.6% 30.3%

29.1% 24.8% 21.4%19.6%

0% 1960

1970

1980 Year

1990

2000

Georgia United States

December 2003 Page 4 of 14

High school diploma or equivalent. As Figure 3 illustrates, the percentage of the population with a high school diploma or equivalent (but no postsecondary education) increased between 1960 and 1980 in both Georgia and the U.S. In 1990, however, Georgia demonstrated a slight increase, while the national average dropped, nearly eliminating the gap between the two. Both Georgia and the U.S. experienced a slight decrease in 2000.

Figure 3
Percent of Population 25 Years and Over with a High School Diploma or Equivalent

Percent

40% 30% 20% 10%
0%

24.6% 18.4%
1960

31.1% 22.4%
1970

36.8% 28.5%
1980 Year

29.6% 30.0% 28.7%28.6%

1990

2000

Georgia United States

Bachelor's degree or higher. The decrease in the percentage of the population with a high school diploma is less troubling when viewed in light of the increase in the percentage of the population with a bachelor's degree or higher as shown in Figure 4. The percentage of Georgia residents with a bachelor's degree or higher increased steadily between 1960 and 2000. The percentage of Georgians with four or more years of college grew from 6.2 percent in 1960 to 24.3 percent in 2000, while the U.S. average increased from 7.7 percent in 1960 to 24.4 percent in 2000.

Figure 4
Percent of Population 25 Years and Over with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Percent

30% 25% 20% 15% 10%
5% 0%

7.7% 6.2%
1960

10.7% 9.2%
1970

17.0% 14.6%

19.3%20.3%

24.4% 24.3%

1980 Year

1990

2000

Georgia United States

December 2003 Page 5 of 14

What Influences Educational Attainment?
Completion of a bachelor's degree or higher requires that students proceed through a "pipeline" that includes high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and college retention. High school graduation includes either obtaining a high school diploma or passing the General Educational Development test. Postsecondary enrollment refers to registering for courses offered by a public or private, two-year or four-year college or university. College retention refers to the first-year retention rates of first-time freshmen.
High school graduation rate. The decline in the percentage of the population with a high school diploma becomes more of a concern when considering the Georgia high school graduation rate. Georgia currently performs poorly in this area in comparison with other states. In 2000, Georgia ranked 49th among the 50 states with a high school graduation rate of 52.3 percent.3 The U.S. average was 67.1 percent.
Postsecondary enrollment. Georgia performs well relative to other states in terms of high school graduates going directly to college. In 2000, 60.4 percent of Georgia high school graduates enrolled in a college or university, ranking 16th among the 50 states. The U.S. average was 56.7 percent.4
First-year retention. In 2001, Georgia four-year colleges and universities performed below the U.S. average in terms of first-time freshmen returning their second year. Georgia institutions of higher education had a retention rate of 72.7 percent while the U.S. average was 74.1 percent.5 As a result, Georgia ranked 37th among the 50 states.
Six-year graduation rates. It is important to consider six-year graduation rates for bachelor's degree-seeking students in addition to educational attainment rates because they show how quickly students move through the pipeline. Students who complete their bachelor's degrees within six years join the workforce sooner, making room for other students to enter postsecondary education.
Georgia's public and private colleges perform below the national average with respect to six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time bachelor's degree-seeking students. In 2000, the six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time bachelor's degree students in Georgia was 41.1 percent, a rank of 41st among the 50 states. The national average was 53.0 percent.
Characteristics of the population. Two characteristics of Georgia's population should be considered when examining educational attainment figures. First, Georgia's relatively large minority population might influence its educational attainment statistics because some minority groups pursue postsecondary education at lower rates than whites. With a minority population of
3 Source: Public High School Graduation Rates at www.HigherEdInfo.org that cites Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Opportunity. 4 Source: College-Going Rates of High School Graduates Directly from High School at www.HigherEdInfo.org that cites Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Opportunity. 5 Source: First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year at www.HigherEdInfo.org which is based on data from an unpublished analysis of the ACT Institutional Data Questionnaire. Please note that this retention rate is the average for all Georgia four-year institutions, not just University System of Georgia institutions.
December 2003 Page 6 of 14

35.3 percent (not including Asians, who typically are not underrepresented in higher education), Georgia ranks seventh among the 50 states.6
Second, Georgia's population growth during the 1990s was greatly affected by inmigration. Between 1990 and 2000, net migration accounted for 65.9 percent of Georgia's population growth.7 In fact, Georgia ranked second among the fifty states with regard to net domestic migration (and 13th in terms of net international migration) between 1990 and 1999.8 It is likely that this in-migration contributes to the percentage of Georgia's population 25 and over with bachelor's degrees or higher; however, it is difficult to determine how much of an influence in-migration affects educational attainment levels.
Conclusion
Researchers with government agencies and higher education organizations have written about the personal and public benefits of having a bachelor's degree or higher. On a positive note, the percentage of Georgia's population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher grew steadily from 6.2 percent in 1960 to 24.3 percent in 2000. Georgia, however, still has room for improvement. Among the 50 states, Georgia ranked 49th in terms of public high school graduation rate, 37th with respect to first-year retention rates of first-time freshmen, and 41st in six-year graduation rates of bachelor's degree students.
For more information, write or e-mail:
Dr. Susan Campbell Policy Research Associate Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia 270 Washington St., SW
Atlanta, GA 30334
Susan.Campbell@usg.edu
6 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Decennial Census. 7 Source: Boatright, S. R. & Bachetel, D. C. (2002). The 2002 Georgia County Guide (21st Ed.). University of Georgia: Athens, GA. 8 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, State Rankings of Population Change and Demographic Components of Population Change for the Period April 1, 1990 to July 1, 1999.
December 2003 Page 7 of 14

Appendix A
The way in which the census measures educational attainment has changed over time.9 The following changes pertain to data used in this analysis.
The 1960 through 1980 decennial censuses collected data on educational attainment using a twopart question that asked the highest grade of school attended and whether that grade was completed.
With the 1990 census question on educational attainment, response categories for people who have attended college were changed because of difficulty in interpreting responses in previous censuses. For example, it was not clear whether "completed fourth year of college" was the same as "college graduate." Comparisons of postsecondary educational attainment between the 1990 and previous censuses, therefore, should be made with caution.
With the 2000 census, the Census Bureau made changes to the educational attainment questions that are relevant to the topic of this paper:10
Changing the educational attainment question to more directly ask about the highest year of school or degree completed;
Dividing the category "Some college, but no degree" into two categories, "Some college credit, but less than 1 year" and "1 or more years of college, no degree"; and
Collapsing the occupational and academic associate degree categories into a single associate degree category.
The Census Bureau also changed the way in which it collected educational attainment data using the CPS. Beginning with the 1992 survey, the CPS included a single question on educational attainment that is similar to the one in the 1990 Decennial Census.11 Also in 1992:
The "High School, 4 years" category was changed to "High School Graduate"; "College 1 to 3 years" was changed to "Some College"; Separate categories for occupational and academic associate degrees were added; and The category, "College 4 years or more" was divided into "Bachelor's degree," "Master's degree,"
"Doctorate degree," and "Professional degree."12
9 See "Definitions of Subject Characteristics" at www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp3/cp-3-4.pdf. 10 See "Differences between the 1990 and 2000 Census Questionnaires at www.census.gov/population/www/ cen2000/ 90v00.html. 11 See Current Population Survey (CPS) Definitions and Explanations at www.census.gov/population/www/ cps/cpsdef.html. 12 See footnotes to Table A-1. Years of School Completed by People 25 Years Old and Over, by Age and Sex: Selected Years 1940 to 2000 at www.census.gov/population/socdemo/education/tableA-1.txt.
December 2003 Page 8 of 14

County
Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow* Bartow* Ben_Hill Berrien Bibb* Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan* Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll* Catoosa* Charlton Chatham* Chattahoochee* Chattooga Cherokee* Clarke*

Appendix B Educational Attainment of Population 25 Years and Over by County: Georgia, 2000

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
11,004

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000
1,280

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

11.63

2,317

21.06

4,095

37.21

Some College
No Degree #, 2000
1,948

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

17.7

436

3.96

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

582

5.29

346

3.14

32.69

8.43

4,503

994

22.07

972

21.59

1,620

35.98

464

10.3

142

3.15

207

4.6

104

2.31

43.66

6.91

6,525

783

12

1,325

20.31

2,871

44

851

13.04

263

4.03

244

3.74

188

2.88

32.31

6.62

2,543

398

15.65

466

18.32

1,027

40.39

278

10.93

102

4.01

190

7.47

82

3.22

33.98

10.7

28,445

2,426

8.53

5,369

18.88 10,076

35.42

4,733

16.64

1,245

4.38

2,740

9.63

1,856

6.52

27.4

16.16

9,401

1,244

13.23

2,011

21.39

3,603

38.33

1,433

15.24

300

3.19

463

4.93

347

3.69

34.62

8.62

29,317

2,755

9.4

5,069

17.29 10,551

35.99

6,137

20.93

1,609

5.49

2,283

7.79

913

3.11

26.69

10.9

48,709

4,642

9.53

9,080

18.64 16,676

34.24

9,507

19.52

1,923

3.95

4,751

9.75

2,130

4.37

28.17

14.13

10,990

1,420

12.92

2,338

21.27

4,090

37.22

1,702

15.49

394

3.59

643

5.85

403

3.67

34.19

9.52

10,451

1,231

11.78

2,319

22.19

3,615

34.59

1,822

17.43

478

4.57

559

5.35

427

4.09

33.97

9.43

97,463

6,792

6.97

15,420

15.82 30,893

31.7 19,208

19.71

4,351

4.46

13,393

13.74

7,406

7.6

22.79

21.34

7,268

937

12.89

1,117

15.37

2,599

35.76

1,190

16.37

516

7.1

550

7.57

359

4.94

28.26

12.51

9,282

892

9.61

1,661

17.89

4,402

47.43

1,440

15.51

307

3.31

308

3.32

272

2.93

27.5

6.25

10,455

1,254

11.99

2,149

20.55

3,875

37.06

1,577

15.08

418

4

728

6.96

454

4.34

32.55

11.31

14,333

837

5.84

2,176

15.18

4,704

32.82

2,775

19.36

1,070

7.47

1,891

13.19

880

6.14

21.02

19.33

28,740

2,152

7.49

4,188

14.57

8,531

29.68

5,511

19.18

1,055

3.67

3,888

13.53

3,415

11.88

22.06

25.41

13,338

1,773

13.29

2,915

21.85

4,935

37

1,938

14.53

506

3.79

870

6.52

401

3.01

35.15

9.53

13,055

1,317

10.09

2,629

20.14

5,208

39.89

2,208

16.91

571

4.37

699

5.35

423

3.24

30.23

8.59

4,277

572

13.37

903

21.11

1,444

33.76

703

16.44

156

3.65

214

5

285

6.66

34.49

11.67

24,073

1,050

4.36

2,979

12.37

7,990

33.19

6,424

26.69

1,784

7.41

2,476

10.29

1,370

5.69

16.74

15.98

6,166

1,105

17.92

1,550

25.14

1,804

29.26

859

13.93

222

3.6

424

6.88

202

3.28

43.06

10.15

53,464

5,387

10.08

10,087

18.87 18,292

34.21

8,973

16.78

1,897

3.55

5,234

9.79

3,594

6.72

28.94

16.51

35,231

2,667

7.57

5,778

16.4 12,267

34.82

7,729

21.94

1,933

5.49

3,371

9.57

1,486

4.22

23.97

13.79

6,404

696

10.87

1,540

24.05

2,695

42.08

905

14.13

161

2.51

215

3.36

192

3

34.92

6.36

147,849

8,327

5.63

20,952

14.17 39,766

26.9 34,406

23.27

7,414

5.01

24,586

16.63 12,398

8.39

19.8

25.01

6,417

156

2.43

564

8.79

1,484

23.13

2,066

32.2

542

8.45

1,184

18.45

421

6.56

11.22

25.01

17,054

2,838

16.64

3,915

22.96

5,909

34.65

2,509

14.71

573

3.36

807

4.73

503

2.95

39.6

7.68

91,141

5,279

5.79

8,906

9.77 24,882

27.3 21,628

23.73

5,856

6.43

17,895

19.63

6,695

7.35

15.56

26.98

51,845

3,703

7.14

6,125

11.81 11,205

21.61

8,174

15.77

1,992

3.84

10,860

20.95

9,786

18.88

18.96

39.82

December 2003 Page 9 of 14

County
Clay Clayton* Clinch Cobb* Coffee Colquitt Columbia* Cook Coweta* Crawford Crisp Dade* Dawson Decatur Dekalb* Dodge Dooly Dougherty* Douglas* Early Echols Effingham* Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette* Floyd Forsyth* Franklin Fulton*

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
2,215 141,554
4,380 395,349
22,798 26,127 56,562
9,876 56,821
8,050 13,709
9,728 10,752 17,633 429,981 12,501
7,309 58,024 58,687
7,872 2,167 23,129 13,617 13,465 6,540 14,291 59,016 58,651 65,027 13,448 527,738

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000 301
9,122 845
15,282 2,792 3,857 2,203 1,270 3,519 587 1,581 1,225 649 1,971
24,282 1,580 838 5,016 3,242 1,081 387 1,348 1,504 2,022 936 1,817 1,313 6,739 3,617 1,487
27,106

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

13.59

489

22.08

787

35.53

6.44

19,099

13.49 45,143

31.89

19.29

957

21.85

1,421

32.44

3.87

29,032

7.34 82,038

20.75

12.25

5,227

22.93

7,513

32.95

14.76

5,313

20.34

9,344

35.76

3.89

4,657

8.23 14,576

25.77

12.86

2,231

22.59

3,554

35.99

6.19

6,923

12.18 18,664

32.85

7.29

2,049

25.45

3,189

39.61

11.53

3,100

22.61

4,727

34.48

12.59

1,982

20.37

2,955

30.38

6.04

1,558

14.49

3,565

33.16

11.18

3,375

19.14

5,914

33.54

5.65

39,978

9.3 87,359

20.32

12.64

2,634

21.07

4,577

36.61

11.47

1,467

20.07

2,765

37.83

8.64

10,270

17.7 16,397

28.26

5.52

7,824

13.33 20,316

34.62

13.73

1,404

17.84

2,635

33.47

17.86

470

21.69

772

35.63

5.83

3,543

15.32

9,351

40.43

11.05

2,959

21.73

5,342

39.23

15.02

3,169

23.54

4,735

35.17

14.31

1,305

19.95

2,564

39.2

12.71

2,335

16.34

5,564

38.93

2.22

3,189

5.4 14,174

24.02

11.49

9,997

17.04 19,489

33.23

5.56

5,669

8.72 15,272

23.49

11.06

2,947

21.91

5,039

37.47

5.14

57,264

10.85 102,246

19.37

Some College
No Degree #, 2000
332 36,151
589 88,678
3,894 3,828 12,389 1,536 12,964 1,409 2,038 1,953 2,452 3,465 96,268 1,749 1,213 13,354 12,939 1,388
323 4,549 1,943 1,775
952 2,525 14,725 10,818 14,062 1,975 97,894

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

14.99

83

3.75

25.54

8,495

6

13.45

111

2.53

22.43

23,141

5.85

17.08

1,085

4.76

14.65

806

3.08

21.9

4,665

8.25

15.55

483

4.89

22.82

3,042

5.35

17.5

267

3.32

14.87

511

3.73

20.08

554

5.69

22.81

585

5.44

19.65

772

4.38

22.39

26,005

6.05

13.99

512

4.1

16.6

322

4.41

23.01

2,640

4.55

22.05

3,081

5.25

17.63

375

4.76

14.91

34

1.57

19.67

1,181

5.11

14.27

528

3.88

13.18

410

3.04

14.56

195

2.98

17.67

559

3.91

24.95

4,268

7.23

18.44

2,341

3.99

21.62

3,917

6.02

14.69

610

4.54

18.55

24,823

4.7

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

100

4.51

123

5.55

35.67

10.07

17,280

12.21

6,264

4.43

19.94

16.63

265

6.05

192

4.38

41.14

10.43

110,788

28.02 46,390

11.73

11.21

39.76

1,495

6.56

792

3.47

35.17

10.03

1,959

7.5

1,020

3.9

35.1

11.4

11,292

19.96

6,780

11.99

12.13

31.95

540

5.47

262

2.65

35.45

8.12

8,123

14.3

3,586

6.31

18.38

20.61

398

4.94

151

1.88

32.75

6.82

1,188

8.67

564

4.11

34.15

12.78

733

7.53

326

3.35

32.97

10.89

1,285

11.95

658

6.12

20.53

18.07

1,295

7.34

841

4.77

30.32

12.11

97,769

22.74 58,320

13.56

14.94

36.3

852

6.82

597

4.78

33.71

11.59

415

5.68

289

3.95

31.54

9.63

6,618

11.41

3,729

6.43

26.34

17.83

7,891

13.45

3,394

5.78

18.86

19.23

591

7.51

398

5.06

31.57

12.56

142

6.55

39

1.8

39.55

8.35

2,143

9.27

1,014

4.38

21.15

13.65

858

6.3

483

3.55

32.78

9.85

703

5.22

651

4.83

38.55

10.06

359

5.49

229

3.5

34.27

8.99

873

6.11

618

4.32

29.05

10.43

14,111

23.91

7,236

12.26

7.63

36.17

5,849

9.97

3,418

5.83

28.53

15.8

16,950

26.07

5,540

8.52

14.28

34.59

864

6.42

526

3.91

32.97

10.34

140,666

26.65 77,739

14.73

15.99

41.39

December 2003 Page 10 of 14

County
Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett* Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris* Hart Heard Henry* Houston* Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff_Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones* Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee* Liberty Lincoln Long

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
15,718 1,764
44,806 28,490 14,988
9,508 372,628
23,501 86,821
6,618 16,814 16,231 15,838
7,020 75,501 69,038
6,196 26,849
7,531 8,036 10,799 5,335 5,206 15,383 10,227 4,487 28,875 15,036 30,797 5,701 5,527

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000 2,228 280 2,624 3,838 1,700 983
16,996 3,113
12,081 960
2,299 1,190 1,499
880 3,069 3,352
783 3,075
686 1,055 1,805
916 824 1,241 952 479 3,052 618 1,039 550 551

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

14.17

3,120

19.85

5,232

33.29

15.87

318

18.03

711

40.31

5.86

5,341

11.92 13,107

29.25

13.47

5,875

20.62

9,723

34.13

11.34

2,886

19.26

5,956

39.74

10.34

1,863

19.59

3,165

33.29

4.56

30,376

8.15 81,979

22

13.25

3,733

15.88

7,931

33.75

13.91

13,523

15.58 25,680

29.58

14.51

1,539

23.25

2,281

34.47

13.67

3,920

23.31

6,075

36.13

7.33

2,226

13.71

4,774

29.41

9.46

3,081

19.45

5,841

36.88

12.54

1,508

21.48

2,929

41.72

4.06

8,838

11.71 25,901

34.31

4.86

7,490

10.85 22,344

32.36

12.64

1,218

19.66

2,384

38.48

11.45

5,495

20.47

9,541

35.54

9.11

1,593

21.15

2,799

37.17

13.13

1,895

23.58

2,847

35.43

16.71

2,672

24.74

3,668

33.97

17.17

1,110

20.81

1,753

32.86

15.83

1,133

21.76

2,052

39.42

8.07

2,164

14.07

6,314

41.05

9.31

1,979

19.35

3,789

37.05

10.68

1,000

22.29

1,535

34.21

10.57

5,512

19.09 10,718

37.12

4.11

2,192

14.58

5,393

35.87

3.37

3,035

9.85 10,545

34.24

9.65

1,102

19.33

2,071

36.33

9.97

870

15.74

2,300

41.61

Some College
No Degree #, 2000
2,561 291
10,192 4,894 2,349 1,479
89,224 4,143
15,558 1,037 2,511 3,658 2,511 1,022
17,907 17,485
890 4,550 1,382 1,163 1,280
800 619 2,693 1,912 867 4,301 3,360 9,449 1,191 1,247

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

16.29

549

3.49

16.5

50

2.83

22.75

2,888

6.45

17.18

1,140

4

15.67

507

3.38

15.56

342

3.6

23.94

27,146

7.29

17.63

863

3.67

17.92

3,718

4.28

15.67

155

2.34

14.93

491

2.92

22.54

951

5.86

15.85

760

4.8

14.56

168

2.39

23.72

5,026

6.66

25.33

4,730

6.85

14.36

310

5

16.95

1,035

3.85

18.35

202

2.68

14.47

323

4.02

11.85

389

3.6

15

179

3.36

11.89

174

3.34

17.51

661

4.3

18.7

444

4.34

19.32

212

4.72

14.9

1,120

3.88

22.35

923

6.14

30.68

2,260

7.34

20.89

213

3.74

22.56

236

4.27

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

1,246

7.93

782

4.98

34.02

12.9

65

3.68

49

2.78

33.9

6.46

6,754

15.07

3,900

8.7

17.78

23.78

1,899

6.67

1,121

3.93

34.09

10.6

1,018

6.79

572

3.82

30.6

10.61

1,043

10.97

633

6.66

29.93

17.63

89,735

24.08 37,172

9.98

12.71

34.06

2,293

9.76

1,425

6.06

29.13

15.82

10,368

11.94

5,893

6.79

29.49

18.73

411

6.21

235

3.55

37.76

9.76

931

5.54

587

3.49

36.99

9.03

2,247

13.84

1,185

7.3

21.05

21.14

1,269

8.01

877

5.54

28.92

13.55

365

5.2

148

2.11

34.02

7.31

10,215

13.53

4,545

6.02

15.77

19.55

8,200

11.88

5,437

7.88

15.7

19.75

423

6.83

188

3.03

32.3

9.86

2,017

7.51

1,136

4.23

31.92

11.74

547

7.26

322

4.28

30.26

11.54

485

6.04

268

3.33

36.71

9.37

675

6.25

310

2.87

41.46

9.12

356

6.67

221

4.14

37.98

10.82

249

4.78

155

2.98

37.59

7.76

1,453

9.45

857

5.57

22.13

15.02

690

6.75

461

4.51

28.66

11.25

248

5.53

146

3.25

32.96

8.78

2,573

8.91

1,599

5.54

29.66

14.45

1,700

11.31

850

5.65

18.69

16.96

2,958

9.6

1,511

4.91

13.23

14.51

356

6.24

218

3.82

28.98

10.07

199

3.6

124

2.24

25.71

5.84

December 2003 Page 11 of 14

County
Lowndes Lumpkin Mcduffie* Mcintosh Macon Madison* Marion Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee* Newton* Oconee* Oglethorpe Paulding* Peach* Pickens* Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond* Rockdale*

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
54,237 12,665 13,442
6,978 8,844 16,881 4,437 14,434 4,281 14,972 14,185 5,108 10,125 22,803 114,045 39,144 16,470 8,436 50,422 14,055 15,868 10,131 8,833 24,703 6,445 12,931 1,773 10,675 4,783 122,592 44,794

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000 3,564 1,413 1,518 698 1,435 1,439 528 1,727 583 1,818 1,120 473 833 3,942 7,985 2,988 742 809 2,578 1,295 1,855 1,214 745 3,646 570 1,027 288 908 804 9,144 2,755

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

6.57

8,555

15.77 16,587

30.58

11.16

2,138

16.88

3,849

30.39

11.29

2,957

22

4,731

35.2

10

1,312

18.8

2,641

37.85

16.23

1,818

20.56

3,112

35.19

8.52

3,493

20.69

6,891

40.82

11.9

1,005

22.65

1,603

36.13

11.96

3,214

22.27

5,146

35.65

13.62

743

17.36

1,536

35.88

12.14

3,380

22.58

5,298

35.39

7.9

2,041

14.39

5,493

38.72

9.26

986

19.3

2,013

39.41

8.23

1,804

17.82

3,752

37.06

17.29

4,939

21.66

8,069

35.39

7

16,059

14.08 32,127

28.17

7.63

6,912

17.66 13,601

34.75

4.51

1,450

8.8

3,850

23.38

9.59

1,546

18.33

3,158

37.43

5.11

7,107

14.1 19,702

39.07

9.21

2,446

17.4

4,667

33.21

11.69

2,873

18.11

5,259

33.14

11.98

1,848

18.24

4,174

41.2

8.43

1,438

16.28

3,539

40.07

14.76

5,424

21.96

8,672

35.11

8.84

1,147

17.8

2,330

36.15

7.94

2,147

16.6

5,241

40.53

16.24

461

26

604

34.07

8.51

1,721

16.12

3,737

35.01

16.81

994

20.78

1,556

32.53

7.46

17,867

14.57 36,323

29.63

6.15

5,125

11.44 13,152

29.36

Some College
No Degree #, 2000 11,642
2,380 2,245 1,315 1,388 2,637
713 2,305
750 2,674 2,381
733 1,582 3,371 27,416 8,341 3,069 1,297 11,040 2,711 2,902 1,577 1,459 4,173 1,317 2,084
250 1,997
749 28,392 10,735

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

21.47

3,224

5.94

18.79

651

5.14

16.7

421

3.13

18.84

234

3.35

15.69

207

2.34

15.62

582

3.45

16.07

192

4.33

15.97

483

3.35

17.52

187

4.37

17.86

437

2.92

16.79

722

5.09

14.35

215

4.21

15.62

264

2.61

14.78

842

3.69

24.04

7,278

6.38

21.31

1,610

4.11

18.63

806

4.89

15.37

308

3.65

21.9

2,327

4.62

19.29

580

4.13

18.29

500

3.15

15.57

298

2.94

16.52

415

4.7

16.89

812

3.29

20.43

250

3.88

16.12

570

4.41

14.1

61

3.44

18.71

430

4.03

15.66

227

4.75

23.16

7,957

6.49

23.97

2,566

5.73

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

6,768

12.48

3,897

7.19

22.34

19.66

1,324

10.45

910

7.19

28.04

17.64

1,076

8

494

3.68

33.29

11.68

443

6.35

335

4.8

28.8

11.15

623

7.04

261

2.95

36.78

10

1,148

6.8

691

4.09

29.22

10.89

193

4.35

203

4.58

34.55

8.92

932

6.46

627

4.34

34.23

10.8

318

7.43

164

3.83

30.97

11.26

884

5.9

481

3.21

34.72

9.12

1,507

10.62

921

6.49

22.28

17.12

455

8.91

233

4.56

28.56

13.47

1,312

12.96

578

5.71

26.04

18.67

1,112

4.88

528

2.32

38.95

7.19

14,086

12.35

9,094

7.97

21.08

20.33

3,715

9.49

1,977

5.05

25.29

14.54

3,739

22.7

2,814

17.09

13.31

39.79

850

10.08

468

5.55

27.92

15.62

5,851

11.6

1,817

3.6

19.21

15.21

1,371

9.75

985

7.01

26.62

16.76

1,574

9.92

905

5.7

29.8

15.62

689

6.8

331

3.27

30.22

10.07

902

10.21

335

3.79

24.71

14

1,014

4.1

962

3.89

36.72

8

536

8.32

295

4.58

26.64

12.89

1,107

8.56

755

5.84

24.55

14.4

72

4.06

37

2.09

42.24

6.15

1,078

10.1

804

7.53

24.63

17.63

239

5

214

4.47

37.59

9.47

14,767

12.05

8,142

6.64

22.03

18.69

7,102

15.85

3,359

7.5

17.59

23.35

December 2003 Page 12 of 14

County
Schley Screven Seminole Spalding* Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs* Union Upson Walker* Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
2,364 9,685 6,114 37,110 16,771 3,495 20,040 4,403 1,434 14,688 5,594 7,906 6,741 27,697 23,433 16,212 6,935 4,292 36,815 5,707 6,702 12,730 18,325 40,837 38,527 23,380 4,061 13,626 17,531 1,588 4,144

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000 198
1,376 819
4,041 1,909
605 2,170
571 307 1,720 840 818 795 2,778 2,733 1,842 709 640 3,303 602 869 1,154 2,269 5,016 3,193 2,394 813 1,611 1,940 259 638

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

8.38

511

21.62

949

40.14

14.21

1,827

18.86

3,740

38.62

13.4

1,145

18.73

2,250

36.8

10.89

7,924

21.35 12,885

34.72

11.38

2,934

17.49

6,014

35.86

17.31

682

19.51

1,295

37.05

10.83

3,858

19.25

6,051

30.19

12.97

981

22.28

1,773

40.27

21.41

321

22.38

467

32.57

11.71

3,228

21.98

5,760

39.22

15.02

1,198

21.42

2,179

38.95

10.35

2,063

26.09

3,168

40.07

11.79

1,599

23.72

2,212

32.81

10.03

4,551

16.43

9,301

33.58

11.66

4,779

20.39

7,109

30.34

11.36

3,455

21.31

5,669

34.97

10.22

1,021

14.72

2,316

33.4

14.91

998

23.25

1,702

39.66

8.97

6,644

18.05 12,395

33.67

10.55

1,244

21.8

2,207

38.67

12.97

1,600

23.87

2,730

40.73

9.07

2,131

16.74

4,471

35.12

12.38

3,839

20.95

6,817

37.2

12.28

8,524

20.87 14,299

35.01

8.29

7,021

18.22 13,725

35.62

10.24

4,545

19.44

9,060

38.75

20.02

930

22.9

1,409

34.7

11.82

2,711

19.9

5,289

38.82

11.07

3,295

18.8

6,500

37.08

16.31

356

22.42

539

33.94

15.4

694

16.75

1,733

41.82

Some College
No Degree #, 2000
313 1,484 1,064 6,145 2,982
516 3,489
588 137 2,390 742 968 1,171 5,164 3,663 2,519 1,289 455 6,340 851 995 2,656 2,574 7,239 7,945 3,860 504 2,081 3,092 241 641

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

13.24

68

2.88

15.32

269

2.78

17.4

311

5.09

16.56

1,487

4.01

17.78

570

3.4

14.76

72

2.06

17.41

603

3.01

13.35

143

3.25

9.55

82

5.72

16.27

431

2.93

13.26

159

2.84

12.24

230

2.91

17.37

244

3.62

18.64

1,255

4.53

15.63

1,486

6.34

15.54

672

4.15

18.59

390

5.62

10.6

134

3.12

17.22

1,519

4.13

14.91

205

3.59

14.85

144

2.15

20.86

721

5.66

14.05

727

3.97

17.73

1,607

3.94

20.62

1,619

4.2

16.51

862

3.69

12.41

82

2.02

15.27

500

3.67

17.64

673

3.84

15.18

49

3.09

15.47

142

3.43

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

180

7.61

145

6.13

29.99

13.75

688

7.1

301

3.11

33.07

10.21

361

5.9

164

2.68

32.12

8.59

3,106

8.37

1,522

4.1

32.24

12.47

1,580

9.42

782

4.66

28.88

14.08

180

5.15

145

4.15

36.82

9.3

2,242

11.19

1,627

8.12

30.08

19.31

202

4.59

145

3.29

35.25

7.88

65

4.53

55

3.84

43.79

8.37

814

5.54

345

2.35

33.69

7.89

329

5.88

147

2.63

36.43

8.51

425

5.38

234

2.96

36.44

8.34

411

6.1

309

4.58

35.51

10.68

2,944

10.63

1,704

6.15

26.46

16.78

2,167

9.25

1,496

6.38

32.06

15.63

1,367

8.43

688

4.24

32.67

12.68

655

9.44

555

8

24.95

17.45

222

5.17

141

3.29

38.16

8.46

4,423

12.01

2,191

5.95

27.02

17.97

330

5.78

268

4.7

32.35

10.48

234

3.49

130

1.94

36.84

5.43

960

7.54

637

5

25.81

12.55

1,458

7.96

641

3.5

33.33

11.45

2,768

6.78

1,384

3.39

33.16

10.17

3,439

8.93

1,585

4.11

26.51

13.04

1,582

6.77

1,077

4.61

29.68

11.37

226

5.57

97

2.39

42.92

7.95

960

7.05

474

3.48

31.72

10.52

1,338

7.63

693

3.95

29.86

11.59

110

6.93

34

2.14

38.73

9.07

181

4.37

115

2.78

32.14

7.14

December 2003 Page 13 of 14

County
White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

Pop. Age 25+ 2000
13,473 52,570
5,761 7,265 6,509 13,979

Less than 9th Grade Completed
#, 2000
1,219
9,569
826
921
632
1,510

Less than 9th Grade Completed
%, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
#, 2000

9th-12th Grade
Completed No Diploma
%, 2000

High School Graduate #, 2000

High School Graduate %, 2000

9.05

2,018

14.98

4,734

35.14

18.2

9,887

18.81 15,259

29.03

14.34

1,008

17.5

2,516

43.67

12.68

1,624

22.35

2,609

35.91

9.71

1,293

19.86

2,697

41.43

10.8

2,920

20.89

5,330

38.13

Some College
No Degree #, 2000
2,797
9,063
792
1,034
1,049
2,480

Some College
No Degree %, 2000

Associate Associate Degree Degree #, 2000 %, 2000

20.76

624

4.63

17.24

2,044

3.89

13.75

218

3.78

14.23

206

2.84

16.12

215

3.3

17.74

539

3.86

Bachelor Degree #, 2000

Graduate/ Graduate/

Bachelor

Prof.

Prof.

Degree Degree Degree

%, 2000 #, 2000 %, 2000

Not Completed
High School %, 2000

% w/ Bachelor Degree+
2000

1,327

9.85

754

5.6

24.03

15.45

4,190

7.97

2,558

4.87

37.01

12.84

203

3.52

198

3.44

31.83

6.96

565

7.78

306

4.21

35.03

11.99

421

6.47

202

3.1

29.57

9.57

795

5.69

405

2.9

31.69

8.58

*Metropolitan County Source: The 2002 Georgia County Guide

December 2003 Page 14 of 14