Educational attainment and our neighboring states.

• Author: Rogers, Carol O.

Between the 1990 and 2000 censuses, Indiana and its neighboring states showed similar declines among adults with less than a high school education and increases in those with at least a high school diploma or some college (see Table 1). Ohio experienced the most significant decline in adults with less than a ninth grade education, followed by Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Between 1990 and 2000, Kentucky experienced the smallest decline in adults who went to high school but did not receive a diploma. During that same ten-year span, Indiana experienced the largest percentage increase in adults with a bachelor's degree 47.9 percent--among its neighbors and compared to the U.S. (see Figure 1).

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

At the same time, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio have the lowest proportion of adults with less than a ninth grade education when compared to the United States (7.5 percent) and Kentucky (12 percent) (see Table 2).

Table 1 Ten Year Changes in Educational Attainment--Indiana and Its Neighbors Percent Change 1990 to 2000 U.S IN IL Less than 9th grade -16.6 -30.6 -20.4 9th to 12th, no diploma -3.9 -11.5 -10.4 High school graduate (includes equivalency) 9.5 8.6 1.1 Some college, no degree 28.8 32.9 21.6 Associate degree 17.6 22.1 14.5 Bachelor's degree 35.9 47.9 33.1 Graduate or professional degree 40.7 26.5 39.6 Total Population Age 25 and older 14.7 11.6 9.3 Percent Change 1990 to 2000 KY MI OH Less than 9th grade -30.1 -34.0 -39.3 9th to 12th, no diploma -2.0...