Released: November 5, 2012 Record Shares of Young Adults Have
Finished Both High School and College Section 3: High School
Completion Among Young Adults Increases in high school
completion have been quite modest. Nonetheless, high school
completion among young adults is at its highest level ever in
2012 at 90%, up from 89% in 2011. Gains in high school
completion have been incremental, however, as the share of
adults ages 25 to 29 completing high school had reached 86% as
early as 1979.1 As the accompanying table shows, noteworthy
changes in high school attainment include: - Male high school
completion reached its highest level on record in 2012 (88%).2 -
Three-quarters of Hispanics ages 25 to 29 had completed at least
a high school education in 2012, and Hispanic high school
attainment significantly increased over the previous record of
71% in 2011. - 2012 marks the first time 76% of foreign- born
young adults have completed at least a high school education.
Immigrant high school attainment in 2012 was signi