The U.S. Census Bureau released new data in September 2023 on income, poverty, education, and health insurance coverage in 2022. These metrics paint a picture of the social and economic circumstances across America. Here’s what stands out from the estimates of Tennesseans’ education levels in 2022.^[1]

Education Levels in Tennessee

Tennessee’s recent upward trend in the share of residents with post-secondary degrees continued into 2022, though rates remain lower than national ones. Most Tennesseans have attended at least some college (Figure 1), but most do not have a post-secondary degree (Figure 2). An estimated 38.2% of Tennesseans 25 and older had at least an associate’s degree in 2022, and 30.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Both metrics have risen in recent years (Figure 3). (1) Meanwhile, state policymakers have also sought to increase the number of Tennesseans with technical degrees and certifications. However, the American Community Survey does not collect information on those credentials.

Demographic and Geographic Variation

Some differences in post-secondary education rates by race and ethnicity are shrinking, but significant gaps remain (Figure 3). (1) From 2015 to 2022, the share of Tennesseans with at least a bachelor’s degree increased the most among Hispanics (up 8.7 percentage points), followed by white residents (up 5.8 points), and then black residents (up 5.0 points). Despite this progress, 21.9% of Hispanics and 23.4% of black Tennesseans had a bachelor’s or higher, compared to 32.6% of white residents.

Rates of post-secondary education in Tennessee also vary by geography. The Census Bureau’s September data release also includes 2022 estimates for counties with populations above 65,000. Among the 21 Tennessee counties with available data:

• Associate’s Degree or More — The share of adults 25 and older with at least an associate’s degree ranged from 67.7% in Williamson County to 25.4% in Hamblen County (Figure 4). Due to the margins of error, the differences in all 2021 and 2022 estimates are not statistically significant. (1)

• Bachelor’s Degree or More — Residents with bachelor’s degrees or more varied from 62.6% in Williamson County to 20.0% in Hamblen County (Figure 5). Four counties saw a statistically significant increase from 2021 — Blount, Bradley, Davidson, and Sumner. Two counties saw a statistically significant decline — Rutherford and Madison. (1)

See Table A1 in the Appendix for complete 2019-2021 county data.

Education and Earnings in Tennessee

Higher levels of education continue to be associated with higher earnings in Tennessee (Figure 6). In 2022, for example, Tennesseans with a bachelor’s degree had median earnings of about $57,500. In other words, half of the people in that group made more, and half earned less. For comparison, median earnings were 28% lower for Tennesseans with only some college or an associate’s degree — about $42,000.

Over the last decade, median earnings have grown for Tennesseans at every level of education (Figure 6). (1) (2) After adjusting for inflation, the greatest earnings increase occurred for those with a high school diploma, which were 10% higher in 2022 than in 2021. Earnings grew more slowly for those with some college or an associate’s degree — up 2% ­— and those with a bachelor’s degree or with a graduate or professional degree — up 1% and 3% respectively.

^[1] Due to the margins of error, the difference in some 2021 and 2022 estimates is not statistically significant. The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey generates estimates based on a sample of the total population. The margin of error measures the likely range of the true value if every person were surveyed. When the error margins for two values overlap, the difference may simply be due to sampling or estimation issues. To learn more about the importance of samples, read our tips for interpreting statistics.

References