The U.S. is losing its international edge in higher education as adults entering the workforce are earning a smaller share of the world’s college diplomas than those approaching retirement, a report found.
People aged 25 to 34 in the U.S. hold 20.5 percent of college and graduate degrees around the globe in that age group, according to a study of 42 countries released today by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development. The U.S. share of those degrees in people 55 to 64 years old is about 36 percent.
To improve U.S. international competitiveness, President Barack Obama has pledged to improve college attainment among those entering the workforce. Complicating the task, the U.S. ranks 31st in math, 23rd in science and 17th in reading among countries and regions tested in an international assessment the organization released last year.
“The U.S. is fast losing its advantage,” the international report said today, citing the “rapid expansion” of college education in the industrialized world and emerging economies.
The U.S. has about 26 percent of the 255 million individuals with college and graduate degrees, a greater share than any other country in the study. China came in second, with 12 percent; and Japan, third, with 11.5 percent. At the same time, among 34 countries belonging to OECD, the U.S. ranks only 15th in higher-education attainment for 25-34 year olds.
China’s Youth
Contrasting with the U.S. generational decline, China’s youth surpassed their elders. Among China’s 55- to 64-year-olds, 7 percent have college and graduate degrees, compared with 18 percent for its 25- to 34-year-olds.
The U.S. has long been “the benchmark for success” in higher-education attainment and is now “quite alone” in reporting lower levels for those entering the workforce than those leaving it, Andreas Schleicher, who oversees OECD education statistics, said in a phone briefing with reporters.
Among OECD countries, the U.S. has some of the biggest economic payoffs for earning a college degree, including higher salaries and lower unemployment, the study found. U.S. college degrees are “by far” the most expensive for students, with direct costs such as tuition totaling $70,000, compared with the OECD average of $11,000, the report said.
People aged 25 to 34 in the U.S. hold 20.5 percent of college and graduate degrees around the globe in that age group, according to a study of 42 countries released today by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development. The U.S. share of those degrees in people 55 to 64 years old is about 36 percent.
To improve U.S. international competitiveness, President Barack Obama has pledged to improve college attainment among those entering the workforce. Complicating the task, the U.S. ranks 31st in math, 23rd in science and 17th in reading among countries and regions tested in an international assessment the organization released last year.
“The U.S. is fast losing its advantage,” the international report said today, citing the “rapid expansion” of college education in the industrialized world and emerging economies.
The U.S. has about 26 percent of the 255 million individuals with college and graduate degrees, a greater share than any other country in the study. China came in second, with 12 percent; and Japan, third, with 11.5 percent. At the same time, among 34 countries belonging to OECD, the U.S. ranks only 15th in higher-education attainment for 25-34 year olds.
China’s Youth
Contrasting with the U.S. generational decline, China’s youth surpassed their elders. Among China’s 55- to 64-year-olds, 7 percent have college and graduate degrees, compared with 18 percent for its 25- to 34-year-olds.
The U.S. has long been “the benchmark for success” in higher-education attainment and is now “quite alone” in reporting lower levels for those entering the workforce than those leaving it, Andreas Schleicher, who oversees OECD education statistics, said in a phone briefing with reporters.
Among OECD countries, the U.S. has some of the biggest economic payoffs for earning a college degree, including higher salaries and lower unemployment, the study found. U.S. college degrees are “by far” the most expensive for students, with direct costs such as tuition totaling $70,000, compared with the OECD average of $11,000, the report said.
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bloomberg.com
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