The share of bachelor’s degrees earned in education has declined from 14 percent in 2010 to 10 percent in 2025, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. As a result, women over the age of 65 now hold the largest share of bachelor’s degrees in education.
As of 2025, 41.7 percent of U.S. adults who hold a bachelor’s degree in education are over the age of 65, 39.2 percent are between the ages of 40 and 64, and 19.1 percent are between the ages of 25 to 39. But in STEM fields, business, and the arts and humanities, middle-aged adults hold the largest share of bachelor’s degrees, followed by younger adults.
Historically, women have been significantly more likely to earn education bachelor’s degrees, and that remains the case today. As of 2025, older women hold the largest share (32 percent), followed by middle-aged women (31 percent), and younger women (15 percent). However, this age distribution has shifted over time. In 2010, middle-aged women held nearly 40 percent of all education bachelor’s degrees, while older women and younger women held similar shares (19 percent and 18 percent, respectively). The age shift was similar among men who hold education bachelor’s degrees.