An educated population makes a more attractive workforce and is better prepared to instruct the next generation of residents. High educational attainment positions a region well for long-term growth. There are persistent gaps in academic achievement among students of different races, ethnicities and incomes, and this is likely reflected in levels of educational attainment.

The share of Worcester County adults in 2018-22 with a bachelor's degree or higher was highest among Asian residents (63%), followed by White residents (39%), Black or African American residents (34%) and Hispanic or Latino residents (18%). Worcester County had similar rates to the state for Asian residents, although its rate for White residents with a bachelor's degree was nine points lower. The County also had higher shares of African American residents with at least a bachelor's degree compared to the national level at 24%.

All groups in Worcester County increased their rates of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher since 2008-12. African American residents had the largest increase of eight percentage points, while White resident increased by five points, Latino residents increased by four points, and Asian residents by three points. On the other end of the spectrum, the share of adults in Worcester County with less than a high school diploma was highest among Latinos at 27%, on par with the state and the nation.

A variety of factors contribute to disparities in educational attainment nationwide. School systems in the United States are highly segregated, and students of color disproportionately attend schools with high proportions of low-income students who may not have benefited from early learning opportunities at the same rate as other students. Schools across the country also have different levels of resources ranging from qualified/experienced teachers to advanced courses to facilities and technology, and schools with large Black and Latino populations often have lower levels of resources. In addition, teachers across all school systems tend to be disproportionately White, and teaching practices and curriculum may not be culturally relevant to students of color. Low staff expectations at racially and economically segregated schools can also contribute disparities in educational attainment. The accumulation of inequities leads to lower graduation rates and college matriculation, with college affordability acting as another barrier. When Black and Latino students enter higher education institutions, they are less likely to attain a college a degree given weaker academic preparation and financial hardship.

Adults are people 25 and older. The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval).

The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.