Description
EDUC indicates respondents' educational attainment, as measured by the highest year of school or degree completed. Note that completion differs from the highest year of school attendance; for example, respondents who attended 10th grade but did not finish were classified in EDUC as having completed 9th grade. For additional detail on grade attendance, see GRADEATT as well as the detailed version of HIGRADE.
Codes and Frequencies
Comparability
In the 1940-1980 samples, all respondents were classified according to the highest year of school completed. Since 1990, this has been true only for respondents who have not completed high school; all high school graduates have been classified according to their highest degree earned. EDUC merges these two schemes by assigning each degree the number of years it typically takes: "2 years of college" for associate's degrees; "4 years of college" for bachelor's degrees; and "5+ years of college" for graduate and professional degrees.
This variable has both general and detailed versions. The general version collapses much of the detail available in each year, but is largely comparable across years. The exception is that the 1990 census form provided detailed directions on what types of degrees counted. Persons educated in un-graded or foreign schools were to estimate the American equivalent of their educational attainment. Vocational, trade, and business certificates were to be reported only if they were college-level degrees. The instructions specifically excluded barber and cosmetology schools and other training schools. Honorary degrees were not to be reported. The form for the 2000 census, the ACS and the PRCS provided examples of degrees that counted but did not specify what types of training should not be reported.
The detailed version includes all information in each year, but the dramatic changes over time in the measurement of educational attainment means that not all categories are available in each year. For example, the general code "5+ years of college" includes the following detailed codes: "6 years of college" (available only in 1960-1980); "7 years of college" and "8+ years of college" (available only in 1980); and "Master's degree", "Professional degree", and "Doctoral degree" (available only 1990 and onward). Users who perform case selection based on EDUC should carefully examine which codes are available in each year.
The detailed codes include "N/A or No Schooling", "N/A", and "No Schooling." Users should be aware that these codes are slightly different depending on the year. These differences result from varying age restrictions for each sample. To preserve detail in the original years, these codes are kept distinct. For 1950, people too young to attend school and those who never attended school are lumped together as code 000 'N/A or No Schooling'. For the other years, the N/A and "No Schooling" are coded as follows:
1960: Persons Younger than 5 coded 001 N/A
1970: Persons Younger than 3 coded 001 N/A
1980: Persons Younger than 4 coded 000 'N/A or No Schooling'
1990-onward: Persons Younger than 3coded N/A.
Universe
- 1940: All persons.
- 1950: Sample-line persons.
- 1960-2000: All persons.
- ACS, PRCS: All persons.
Availability
- 2013: All samples
- 2012: All samples
- 2011: All samples
- 2010: All samples
- 2009: All samples
- 2008: All samples
- 2007: All samples
- 2006: All samples
- 2005: All samples
- 2004: All samples
- 2003: All samples
- 2002: All samples
- 2001: All samples
- 2000: All samples
- 1990: All samples
- 1980: All samples
- 1970: All samples
- 1960: All samples
- 1950: All samples
- 1940: All samples
- 1930: --
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
- 1900: --
- 1880: --
- 1870: --
- 1860: --
- 1850: --
- 2013: All samples
- 2012: All samples
- 2011: All samples
- 2010: All samples
- 2009: All samples
- 2008: All samples
- 2007: All samples
- 2006: All samples
- 2005: All samples
- 2000: All samples
- 1990: All samples
- 1980: All samples
- 1970: All samples
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
