According to this Statistic, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_104.20.asp, only 40% of people in the U.S. have a Bachelor’s Degree. However, almost all of my friends from high school are at 4-year-universities pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree, and almost all of my Parents’ Colleagues have a Bachelor’s Degree, as do most random strangers I encounter. How is this possible? I was anticipating the day I got my Bachelor’s Degree as a day of glory, but it isn’t really glorious if everyone has one, now is it.
If only 40% of people in the U.S. have Bachelor's Degrees, why does almost everyone I know have one?
Social circles do tend to self-segregate by various SES factors, including level of education completed or in progress. In many cases, one’s work and neighborhood tends to be populated heavily by those with similar level of education; the same can apply to many other types of social circles. The “random strangers” that you encounter may only be random out of a selected (unintentionally) pool from your work, neighborhood, or other social circles.
Because you apparently don’t live in a poor area? Go make some friends there and you’ll see why the percentage isn’t that high. Also, you assume that all your friends are going to FINISH their bachelor’s degree.
Actually, that wasn’t entirely correct. 40% of white people have a Bachelor’s Degree, and white people statistically financially better off than any other race. And most of the these people I’m talking about are white.
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/tables/dt14_104.30.asp
The chart you linked to is for 25-29 year olds only. If you look at various age groups on the same site, it is interesting to me how the older groups have lower percentages of bachelor degrees. It appears that it is becoming more common to get a bachelor degree but actually the percentage is well below 40 percent.
You say your parents colleagues all have degrees, but I bet if you ask them, there are administrative personnel in their workplaces without degrees- clerks, administrative assistants, custodial workers, etc. While BSNs are quite common, many nurses have an ADN which is not a bachelors. Plumbers, electricians and many tradespeople do not have degrees. Dental hygenists and X-ray techs are usually associate degree educated. Hair dressers, bus drivers, restaurant workers? You surely interact with these people. You may not socialize with them but they are part of the population.
This statistic is only 2 years old. Things can’t have changed that much. Also, I look up random strangers on facebook and they have one too.
I also look up random strangers on facebook, and they also have one.
My high school is located in a really financially disadvantaged area. Like you, before I came to this high school, i found college graduates over represented . But now I realized that there are millions of Americans who aren’t as educated. My school has a 20+% drop out rate, that means 1 out of every 5 does not finish HIGH SCHOOL.
I’m closing this thread. The OP started a similar one that went nowhere.