Post-secondary education has become an ever increasing necessity in the U.S., especially as wages among unskilled workers in the labor force have stagnated. In fact, wages in the U.S. have reached a record low as a share of America’s gross domestic product (GDP); the wage share of GDP was 49 percent in 2001 compared to 43.5 percent in 2012 (Greenhouse, 2013). Given this flat lining effect, it is no surprise that there is a strong correlation between educational attainment and income earnings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014), in 2013, the median weekly earnings for persons age 25 and over with only a high school diploma were $651 compared to $1,108 a week for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
While over the past twenty-four …show more content…
The ACS is a detailed ongoing statistical survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that is distributed to three million addresses across the U.S. annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). The NCES is a federal government organization located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences that collects and analyzes data related to education in the U.S. as well as other nations (NCES, n.d.). Both ACS and NCES statistics will be used to compare income and post-secondary educational attainment among blacks and …show more content…
The U.S. Census Bureau defines “persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher” as anyone who has received at least a bachelor’s degree from a university or college. This definition also includes persons who have received post-baccalaureate degrees, such as a master’s, professional, or doctorate degree (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). This paper will also be exploring race in relation to post-secondary educational attainment. Race is divided into six categories – white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and some other race. Persons also have the option of selecting multiple racial categories on the ACS. This paper will focus on the racial categories of white and black. White is defined as persons “having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa,” and black or African American is defined as persons “having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Race is self-identified on the ACS, and data used in this paper exclusively focuses on persons who self-identify as black or African American only and white only, but not those who self-identify as more than one race. This paper will use the term “black” for persons who self-identify as black or African
While over the past twenty-four …show more content…
The ACS is a detailed ongoing statistical survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that is distributed to three million addresses across the U.S. annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). The NCES is a federal government organization located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences that collects and analyzes data related to education in the U.S. as well as other nations (NCES, n.d.). Both ACS and NCES statistics will be used to compare income and post-secondary educational attainment among blacks and …show more content…
The U.S. Census Bureau defines “persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher” as anyone who has received at least a bachelor’s degree from a university or college. This definition also includes persons who have received post-baccalaureate degrees, such as a master’s, professional, or doctorate degree (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). This paper will also be exploring race in relation to post-secondary educational attainment. Race is divided into six categories – white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and some other race. Persons also have the option of selecting multiple racial categories on the ACS. This paper will focus on the racial categories of white and black. White is defined as persons “having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa,” and black or African American is defined as persons “having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Race is self-identified on the ACS, and data used in this paper exclusively focuses on persons who self-identify as black or African American only and white only, but not those who self-identify as more than one race. This paper will use the term “black” for persons who self-identify as black or African