Formal educational attainment in rural America has grown, but still lags behind urban communities.  USDA’s Economic Research Service data shows the share of adults ages 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased in rural areas from 15% to 21%.  In the same time span, the share of adults in urban areas with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased from 26% to 36%, widening the rural-urban gap from 11% to 15% in these two reference periods.  The rural-urban gap in the share of people with at least a bachelor’s degree is even larger for younger age groups.

 

In 2017–21, the share of working-age adults, ages 25–64, with at least a bachelor's degree, was 37% in urban areas and 21% in rural areas.  The share of younger adults ages 25–44 with at least a bachelor’s degree was 40% in urban areas and 22% in rural areas. 

 

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