STATCAST – Educational Attainment of Mothers Aged 25 and Over: United States, 2017

TRANSCRIPT

Education is a key indicator for a number of health measures in the United States, including fertility patterns.  This week, the CDC National Center for Health Statistics has released a new analysis that looks at educational attainment levels among mothers who are 25 years of age and over.

The data come directly from 2017 birth certificates filed in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia.

The new report finds that in 2017, over 40% of births in the United States were to mothers with a Bachelor’s or advance degree, such as a doctorate degree.  Only 10% of births in 2017 were to mothers with less than a high school degree.

Mothers without a high school degree, on average, also have had the highest number of births overall whereas women with a Bachelor’s or advance degree have had the lowest number of births, another illustration of the role that educational attainment has on fertility patterns in the U.S.

Geographical differences were looked at as well.  In five states, 50% of births were to women with a Bachelor’s or advance degree.  These five states are:  Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont. Meanwhile, Nevada had the lowest percentage of births to women with a Bachelor’s or advance degree at 26.6%, with New Mexico the second lowest at 28.8%.  The highest percentage of births to mothers with a Bachelor’s or advanced degree was in the District of Columbia at 58.5%.

Among race-ethnic groups, non-Hispanic Asian mothers were most likely to have a higher education.  Over two-thirds of Asian moms had a Bachelor’s or advance degree.

To get a copy of the full report, visit the NCHS web site at:  https://www.cdc.gov/nchs