Young Women Have Made Tremendous Strides in Degree Attainments

Young women have achieved tremendous progress in educational attainments over the past generation. In 1980, 41.9 percent of all women, ages 25 to 29, had some college experience. Today, more than two thirds of all women in that age group have attended college.

Thirty-years ago, 21 percent of young adult women had graduated from a four-year college. Today the figure is 36.1 percent.

Great progress has been achieved by young women in master’s degree attainments in just the past 15 years. In 1995, only 4.1 percent of women ages 25-29 had a master’s degree. In 2011, 8.8 percent of young adult women had a master’s degree.