- Description
- Codes
- Comparability
- Universe
- Availability
- Questionnaire Text
- Flags
- Source Variables
- Editing Procedure
Description
HIGRADE reports the highest grade of school attended or completed by the respondent. The general code reports the highest grade completed. The detailed codes for 1950-1980 identify persons who began but did not finish the next grade, or who were still attending that grade at census time. (The IPUMS variable SCHOOL, available for all years, identifies persons who attended school during each year. GRADEATT provides information on the grade people are currently attending (if applicable) for the 1990-onward period as well.)
EDUC provides a version of this information that is fully compatible across the 1940-onward period.
Codes and Frequencies
An 'X' indicates the category is available for that sample
Code | Label |
1980
1pct
|
1970
met2
|
1970
met1
|
1960
1pct
|
1950
1pct
|
1940
1pct
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
00 | N/A (or None, 1980) | X | X | X | X | X | · |
01 | None | X | X | X | X | X | X |
02 | Nursery school | X | X | X | X | X | · |
03 | Kindergarten | X | X | X | X | X | · |
Elementary school: | |||||||
04 | 1st grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
05 | 2nd grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
06 | 3rd grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
07 | 4th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
08 | 5th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
09 | 6th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
10 | 7th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
11 | 8th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
High school: | |||||||
12 | 9th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
13 | 10th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
14 | 11th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
15 | 12th grade | X | X | X | X | X | X |
College: | |||||||
16 | 1st year | X | X | X | X | X | X |
17 | 2nd year | X | X | X | X | X | X |
18 | 3rd year | X | X | X | X | X | X |
19 | 4th year | X | X | X | X | X | X |
20 | 5th year or more (40-50) | X | X | X | X | X | X |
21 | 6th year or more (60,70) | X | X | X | X | · | · |
Code | Label |
1980
1pct
|
1970
met2
|
1970
met1
|
1960
1pct
|
1950
1pct
|
1940
1pct
|
22 | 7th year | X | · | · | · | · | · |
23 | 8th year or more | X | · | · | · | · | · |
99 | Missing | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Can't find the category you are looking for? Try the Detailed codes
Comparability
While this variable is generally comparable across years, some types of schooling counted in certain years and not others (see SCHOOL).
In 1940, 1950, and 1980, persons who attended ungraded schools or schools in foreign countries were instructed to estimate the American grade equivalent of their education (the 1980 Puerto Rican census form does not indicate for persons who attended ungraded schools or schools in foreign countries to estimate the American grade equivalent of their education). This is probably what respondents did in 1960 and 1970 as well, but they were not specifically instructed to do so. The 1980 form was the first to mention completing high school via an equivalency test (GED); persons who passed such an exam were to indicate that they had attended and completed the 12th grade.
Beginning in 1990, respondents were to report their "educational attainment," a concept not precisely comparable with that used for HIGRADE, especially for post-high school education. The IPUMS variable EDUC integrates HIGRADE with these later reports of educational attainment.
Universe
- 1940: All persons.
- 1950: Sample-line persons.
- 1960: Persons age 5+.
- 1970-1980: Persons age 3+.
Availability
- 2023: --
- 2022: --
- 2021: --
- 2020: --
- 2019: --
- 2018: --
- 2017: --
- 2016: --
- 2015: --
- 2014: --
- 2013: --
- 2012: --
- 2011: --
- 2010: --
- 2009: --
- 2008: --
- 2007: --
- 2006: --
- 2005: --
- 2004: --
- 2003: --
- 2002: --
- 2001: --
- 2000: --
- 1990: --
- 1980: All samples
- 1970: All samples
- 1960: All samples
- 1950: All samples
- 1940: All samples
- 1930: --
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
- 1900: --
- 1880: --
- 1870: --
- 1860: --
- 1850: --
- 2023: --
- 2022: --
- 2021: --
- 2020: --
- 2019: --
- 2018: --
- 2017: --
- 2016: --
- 2015: --
- 2014: --
- 2013: --
- 2012: --
- 2011: --
- 2010: --
- 2009: --
- 2008: --
- 2007: --
- 2006: --
- 2005: --
- 2000: --
- 1990: --
- 1980: All samples
- 1970: All samples
- 1930: --
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
Questionnaire Text
1980 1% |
1970 Form 2 Metro |
1970 Form 1 Metro |
1960 1% |
1950 1% |
1940 1% |
9. What is the highest grade (or year) of regular school this person has ever attended?
Fill one circle. If now attending school, mark grade person is in. If high school was finished by equivalency test (GED), mark "12."
[] Nursery school[] Kindergarten
Elementary through high school (grade or year)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []
College (academic year)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more
[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []
[]Never attended school - Skip question 10
"Fill only one circle. Mark the highest grade ever attended even if the person did not finish it. If the person is still in school, mark the grade in which now enrolled. Schooling received in foreign or ungraded schools should be reported as the equivalent grade or year in the regular American school system. If uncertain whether a Head Start program is for nursery school or kindergarten, mark the circle for Nursery school.
"If the person skipped or repeated grades, mark the highest grade ever attended regardless of how long it took to get there. Persons who did not attend any college but who completed high school by finishing the 12th grade or by passing an equivalency test, such as the General Educational Development (GED) examination. should fill the circle for the 12th grade."
10. Did this person finish the highest grade (or year) attended?
Fill once circle.
[] Finished this grade (or year)
[] Did not finish this grade (or year)
"Mark Finished this grade (or year) only if the person finished the entiregrade or year marked in question 9 or if the highest grade was completed by passing a high school equivalency test."
21. What is the highest grade (or year) of regular school he has ever attended?
[] Never attended school - Skip to 23
[] Nursery school
[] Kindergarten
Elementary through high school (grade or year)
[] 1
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6
[] 7
[] 8
[] 9
College (academic year)
[] 1
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6 or more
"Mark the highest grade he attended even if he did not finish it. If he is still in school, mark the grade he is in now. If he skipped or repeated grades, mark the highest grade ever attended, regardless of how long it took to get there. If he finished high school, but did not go to college, mark 12. For college, mark the highest academic year attended."
[All]
22. Did he finish the highest grade (or year) he attended?
[] Finished this grade (or year)
[] Did not finish this grade (or year)
"Mark Finished this grade (or year) only if he finished the entire grade or year shown in question 21."
21. What is the highest grade (or year) of regular school he has ever attended?
[] Never attended school - Skip to 23
[] Nursery school
[] Kindergarten
Elementary through high school (grade or year)
[] 1
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6
[] 7
[] 8
[] 9
College (academic year)
[] 1
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6 or more
"Mark the highest grade he attended even if he did not finish it. If he is still in school, mark the grade he is in now. If he skipped or repeated grades, mark the highest grade ever attended, regardless of how long it took to get there. If he finished high school, but did not go to college, mark 12. For college, mark the highest academic year attended."
[All]
22. Did he finish the highest grade (or year) he attended?
[] Finished this grade (or year)
[] Did not finish this grade (or year)
"Mark Finished this grade (or year) only if he finished the entire grade or year shown in question 21."
[] Kindergarten
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6
[] 7
[] 8
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 2
[] 3
[] 4
[] 5
[] 6 or more
[] Did not finish this grade
[] Never attended school
205. Item 26. Enter highest grade of regular school ever attended.-Enter the highest grade of school that this person has ever attended in a regular school. This may be the grade he is now attending.
Enter the highest grade attended regardless of "skipped" or "repeated" grades. If the person reached a given grade or year of school in less time or in more time than is usually required, enter the grade or year of school attended (and not the number of years taken). For example, a child attending the seventh grade after only 5 years in school should be coded "S7," and a person who took 5 years to complete 4 years of college should be coded "C4."
206. "Regular" school.-The highest grade attended in a regular school refers to formal education obtained in graded public, private, or parochial schools, colleges, universities, or professional schools, whether day school or night school, and whether attendance was full time or part time. That is, "regular" schooling is that which advances a person toward an. elementary or high school diploma, or a college, university, or professional school degree.
207. "Nonregular" schools.-Do not count education or training received in the following, because they are usually not "regular" schools:
208. Codes.-Use the following codes to indicate the highest grade attended in item 26.
[Format modified from original instructions:]
209. Nursery schools.-For children who have attended nursery school only, enter "0" as highest grade attended.
210. Seven-year elementary school system.-In some areas, the school system has or used to have 7 years of elementary school and 4 years of high school. Enter "S7" for persons who attended only the 7 years (that is, no high school) . However, for persons who attended some high school, following their 7th grade, use the code "S9," "S10," etc., whichever is applicable. For example, a person who attended the third year of high school following 7 grades of elementary school, should be coded "S11."
211. Junior high school.-For persons who attended their highest grade in junior high school, do not assume that the correct entries will always be "S7," "S8," or "S9," although in most instances this will be true. In some junior-senior high school systems, the correct junior high codes may start with "S6," or end with "S10."
212. Post-graduate high school.-Enter "S12" for persons who have attended "post-graduate" high school courses after completing high school, but have not attended regular college.
214. Foreign schools.-For education obtained in foreign schools, enter the approximate equivalent grade in the American school system. If you cannot determine the approximate equivalent grade, determine the number of years the person attended school.
215. Ungraded schools.-Treat education obtained in ungraded schools in the same way as foreign schools in the above paragraph. Enter the regular school equivalent, or the number of years of attendance. For the person whose level of education was measured by "readers," the first reader is roughly equivalent to the first grade, second reader to the second grade, etc.
216. Tutor.-Enter the approximate equivalent in the regular school system for education received from a tutor.
Flags
QEDUCEditing Procedure
There is no editing procedure available for this variable.