U.S. ranks 10th behind other nations in adults who have college degrees

Once one of the best educated countries in the world, the U.S. now ranks tenth for advanced education among developed countries with 39 percent of young adults holding college degrees.

Ohio ranks in the bottom half of states with only 35 percent of young adults who have college degrees, according to a Lumina Foundation for Education study released this week.

The national study found that nationwide the number of degrees awarded needs to grow by more than a quarter million each year to meet President Barack Obama’s goal of having 60 percent of the adult population holding an advanced degree by 2025.

To do it’s part, Ohio needs to add 1.4 million graduates over the next 15 years.

Enrollments are up in Ohio and across the country, according to Dewayne Matthews, vice president of policy and strategy for Lumina, a non-profit education advocate. What hasn’t changed in nearly half a century are attainment rates.

“Right now, in Ohio, 1.3 million people have gone to college and didn’t get a degree or diploma,” Matthews said. “We need to change the incentives to focus on the prize, the result, and not simply enrolling people in school.”

Nationally, only about half of the students who begin college ultimately graduate.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2342 or cmagan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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