This Web-based document was archived by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
Minnesota Milestones 2010: High School Education
 
 
How is Minnesota doing?
Keep an eye out for these images to quickly tell which way the trend is going:
Thumbs down
Undesirable or negative
Thumbs maybe
No change, or not enough data to draw conclusions
Thumbs up
Desirable or positive.
login

Indicator 39: High School Education

Thumbs maybeimage
Goal: Minnesota's workforce will have the education and training to make the state a leader in the global economy.
Rationale: A high school education is the minimal entry-level requirement for many jobs. The educational attainment of the workforce is important both for the state’s economic development and the financial well-being of individuals.
About this indicator: The percentage of Minnesotans ages 25 and older who have graduated from high school rose from 82.4 percent in the 1990 Census to 90.1 percent in the 2000 Census. The American Community Survey shows a 2009 rate of 91.5 percent, not statistically different from the 2008 rate.
Percent of population ages 25+ with at least a high school diploma


graph
Percent of population ages 25+ with at least a high school diploma
YearData
Percent of population ages 25+ with at least a high school diploma, U.S. Census Bureau
1990 82.4%
2000 87.9%
2005 90.9%
2006 90.6%
2007 91%
2008 91.6%
2009 91.5%
For comparison: Minnesota is statistically tied for first with four other states in the percentage of adults who have completed high school, according to the 2008 American Community Survey. The national average was 85.3 percent.
Things to think about: Much of the increase in educational attainment is traceable to the replacement of older generations who typically had less education. Educational attainment among younger adults has shown little change.
Technical notes: The data includes people who have received a GED or other high school equivalency certificate. In 2008, 11 percent of Minnesotans who had graduated from high school but not advanced to college had received their diploma via a GED or similar certificate.
Sources:
Local data:

Milestones is a product of the Minnesota State Demographic Center, a division of the Department of Administration