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Education: Educational Attainment Indicator DuPage County is focused on betterment through education.
ABOUT THE INDICATOR Educational attainment is important because the education level of a county’s residents plays a key role in the local economy. Two indicators of educational attainment are presented. The first indicator shows the data available from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census. Categories for educational attainment describe the highest level reached by each respondent. The second indicator is a snapshot of the highest level of education attained by students enrolled at the College of DuPage, our local community college, during the fall of 2001. OBSERVATIONS The citizens of DuPage County tend to be highly educated. The percentage of adults who are college graduates in DuPage County is well above the percentage for the state of Illinois. In fact, from 1990 to 2000, the percentage of adult residents with at least a college degree increased from 35 percent to 43 percent. Conversely, from 1990 to 2000, the number of adult residents with only a high school education or less declined. Data from the College of DuPage (C.O.D.) indicate that DuPage County residents are committed to lifelong learning. More than 18 percent of the students enrolled at C.O.D. during the fall of 2001 already had a Bachelor’s of Arts degrees, but were pursuing further studies. TAPESTRY The high percentage of college graduates in DuPage County and the fact that many of these graduates are continuing on to advanced levels of education indicate that DuPage County residents value education. This is further supported by trends in other education indicators, including ACT scores, high school graduation rates, and education spending. A common thread throughout the education section of this Tapestry is the effect that education has on an individual’s potential for future employment and earnings, and in turn, on the continued economic health of a community. Simply put, lower education levels generally lead to lower earnings. In fact, in 1999, individuals who had achieved a Bachelor’s degree or higher earned approximately 46 percent more annual income than those with only a high school degree. Lower earnings have an economic impact not only on the individual, but also on overall economic stability in the community because individuals who earn less have less money to spend on nonessential items and activities, including recreational and leisure activities. HOW TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE
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