The percentage of rural people 25 years old or above with college degrees has increased almost three-fold since 1970, but the gap between cities and rural places has grown, reports Roberto Gallardo and Bill Bishop of the Daily Yonder.
In 2010, there was a 15 percentage-point gap, compared to a 6 percentage-point difference in 1970.
Still, in percentage terms, the urban-rural ratio of college graduates has improved slightly, dropping below 2 to 1, and Bishop and Gallardo note that rural America "has caught up in every other measure of education." In 2010, 27.4 percent of rural adults had some education after high school, but less than a four-year degree. That was less than 1 percentage point below the national average. In 1970, only 7.8 percent had some college. In the last 40 years, the percentage of rural adults with less than a high-school education has dropped to 18.9 percent from 60 percent.
Bishop and Gallardo say the numbers probably reflect the trend toward college-educated rural youth moving to cities to pursue careers, and not coming back home. "The loss of young, well-educated residents is a long-standing problem for rural communities," they write.
Still, in percentage terms, the urban-rural ratio of college graduates has improved slightly, dropping below 2 to 1, and Bishop and Gallardo note that rural America "has caught up in every other measure of education." In 2010, 27.4 percent of rural adults had some education after high school, but less than a four-year degree. That was less than 1 percentage point below the national average. In 1970, only 7.8 percent had some college. In the last 40 years, the percentage of rural adults with less than a high-school education has dropped to 18.9 percent from 60 percent.
Bishop and Gallardo say the numbers probably reflect the trend toward college-educated rural youth moving to cities to pursue careers, and not coming back home. "The loss of young, well-educated residents is a long-standing problem for rural communities," they write.
No comments:
Post a Comment