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