Modern School: Failing Schools? Record Number of Americans Have Bachelor's Degrees

Modern School: Failing Schools? Record Number of Americans Have Bachelor's Degrees:

Failing Schools? Record Number of Americans Have Bachelor's Degrees

by Michael Dunn

Ever since the Nation at Risk report came out, pundits, politicians and corporate education profiteers have been decrying the abysmal state of public education in this country, including the claim that we aren’t preparing people for college. Yet according to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, for the first time in history, more than 30% of Americans aged 25 or older—56 million people—have bachelor's degrees. 

70 years ago, only 5% of this same age group held college degrees and the number has steadily climbed since then. According to Good Education, more than one-third of the degrees are in STEM. The data also indicated that gender and ethnic disparities are closing, with 30% of women now holding degrees, compared to 31% of men. The percentage of Hispanic