College Graduate - Ages 65+

College Graduate - Ages 65+ in United States

United States

Educational attainment is important to the continuous development of a society. Those who earn a college degree have access to a wider variety of employment opportunities and are compensated more on average than those without a college degree.

College graduates tend to engage in healthier behaviors, which contribute to better quality of life and longevity. College graduates are also more likely to participate in civic engagement activities like voting, community service and community organizing, all of which are associated with positive mental and physical health outcomes.

While older adults cannot change whether or not they received a college education during their youth, education remains one of the greatest drivers of health inequities.

The percentage of older adults with a college degree is higher among: 

• Asian older adults compared with non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic African American and Hispanic older adults.
• Men compared with women.

Although obtaining a college degree after the age of 65 is uncommon, education remains a major predictor of health and mortality outcomes. It is also a deciding variable of socioeconomic status, another major factor associated with improved health outcomes regardless of age, gender or race. Therefore, policies that support improving access to a quality education for low-income and racial and ethnic minority populations could have a significant impact on individual long-term health and overall population health.

Administration on Aging. 2022. “2021 Profile of Older Americans.” Administration for Community Living. https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Profile%20of%20OA/2021%20Profile%20of%20OA/2021ProfileOlderAmericans_508.pdf.

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West, Loraine A., Samantha Cole, Daniel Goodkind, and Wan He. 2014. “65+ in the United States: 2010.” P23-212. Current Population Reports. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p23-212.pdf.

Winkleby, Marilyn A., Darius E. Jatulis, Erica Frank, and Stephen P. Fortmann. 1992. “Socioeconomic Status and Health: How Education, Income, and Occupation Contribute to Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease.” American Journal of Public Health 82 (6): 816–20. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.82.6.816.