New numbers from the U.S. Department of Education show fewer Idahoans had college degrees in 2010 than in 2009. Nearly 67,000 residents aged 25-34 had some kind of post-secondary degree in 2010. That’s just under 33 percent of that demographic. And it’s about 1,000 fewer than the year before, or a .7 percent drop. The national average is above 39 percent.
The District of Columbia beats all states with nearly 70 percent of young people holding degrees. Massachusetts comes next with 54 percent. Idaho is near the bottom of the rankings. Nevada ranks last with 28 percent of its 25 to 34-year-olds having degrees.
The numbers come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Two months ago, StateImpact Idaho crunched the same data for all Idahoans over the age of 25. That report shows 24 percent with bachelor’s degrees or higher. Eight percent held associate’s degrees.