State of Attainment: Three Ways That States Can Help More Students Access Higher Levels of Education
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Access and Completion in Higher Education
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Policy and Administration
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
Education
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Education Policy
Race and Ethnicity
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Abstract
Fourteenth place. That's where the United States ranked in the proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds who achieved postsecondary degrees, according to a 2012 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Unless the U.S. increases the share of the population that has completed a college degree, the country will lack the educational skills and training required to meet the workforce demands of a global economy. Sixty-three percent of job researchers predict, will require education beyond high school in 2018. For the U.S. to be competitive on a global scale, it must devote more effort to closing the considerable gaps in degree attainment that persist across demographic groups. The groups least likely to earn a degree are students from lower-income families, blacks, Hispanics, and those whose parents have not attended college.