College completion rates continue to climb, as shown by these charts from the Pew Research Center.
Slightly higher rates for the younger population:
For years, the idea has been growing that college is as necessary as high school was 40 years ago. In 2010, 75 percent of Americans said college was very important, compared with just 36 percent in 1978, the report notes.
President Obama has set a goal for the US to lead the world by 2020 in the percentage of young people earning college degrees or postsecondary certificates.
The increases in the Pew report indicate a “rather slow climb” that would need to accelerate to meet the president’s goal, says Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
While the long-term trend is up, recent increases could be related to the difficulty of finding jobs during the latest recession.
During better economic times, education attainment rates have been more stagnant. It’s possible, Fry says, that rates will tick downward somewhat as the labor market improves.
Maybe lower education attainment rates would be a positive change, since we have too many college graduates chasing too few college-level jobs.
Good question. Why? Doing what you’re told? Nothing better to do? Putting off the time when the consequences of your decisions become apparent? High self-esteem leading you to think you’re the exception to the trend? Being part of the trend, going where everyone else is going?
Related: College graduates are no longer ‘special’ (Cost of College)
Cost of College 