Census Bureau Releases New Educational Attainment Data
For pension fund trustees and administrators, understanding workforce trends is essential to anticipating contribution flows and retirement readiness. The U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 3 released Educational Attainment in the United States: 2024, a table package examining the education levels of adults age 18 and older. The findings provide valuable insight into the economic and demographic forces that shape public pension systems.
The data show that in 2024, 42.8% of adults ages 25 to 39, 41.5% ages 40 to 54, and 34.2% ages 55 and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Women continued to outpace men in educational attainment, with 40.1% of women age 25 and older holding at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 37.1% of men.
The survey also detailed education by occupation and industry. Nearly half of employed workers (49.3%) had a high school diploma or associate degree as their highest attainment, while 44.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 6.1% lacked a high school diploma. Fields such as information (64.9%) and education and health services (61.2%) had the highest share of college-educated workers, compared with industries like transportation and utilities, where 67.5% of workers held only a high school diploma or associate degree.
Why It Matters for TEXPERS Members
Educational attainment directly influences the earnings potential and career stability of the public workforce, which in turn affects pension contributions and retirement security. Higher levels of education generally align with higher wages and steadier employment, strengthening contribution streams into public retirement systems. At the same time, disparities across industries and occupations can highlight risks to long-term funding assumptions. For trustees and administrators, these insights are critical when evaluating actuarial forecasts, designing member education strategies, and preparing for demographic shifts in the workforce that support public pension funds.
Key Takeaway for Trustees:
Education levels shape both the capacity of workers to contribute to pension systems and their likelihood of achieving retirement security. Trustees should watch for demographic and industry-specific trends that may influence future contribution rates, workforce stability, and actuarial assumptions.
Sources:
- U.S. Census Bureau Press Release, Sept. 3, 2025
- Full Tables: Educational Attainment in the U.S. 2024
About the Author: Allen Jones is the director of communications and event marketing for TEXPERS. He joined the Association in 2017. Before TEXPERS, he worked in the news media industry, producing content for newspapers, magazines, and online publications and leading newsrooms as an editor and publications manager. [email protected]