On April 20, the Federal Census released its analysis of data collected

On April 20, the Federal Census released its analysis of data collected from the 2009 Current Population Survey. Between February 2009 and April 2009, 100,000 families were surveyed nationwide and asked for information, according to demographic and socioeconomic indicators, about age, sex, race, household relationships, marital status, and education level. The survey indicated, among other things, that 53 percent of Asians over 25-year-old hold a bachelor’s degree, topping non-Hispanic whites, (33 percent), Blacks (19 percent), and Hispanics (13 percent).

Within the 25- to 29-year-old age group, Asians have a high rate of education for both sexes. Indeed no noticeable statistical difference was found between men and women holding masters degrees (in law, or medicine), or doctoral degrees. Among whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in the same age group, women hold a three percent edge over men for such degrees (9 percent to 6 percent).

There is a wider discrepancy between Asian women and men with bachelor degrees or higher – women surpass men by 8 percentage points (35 to 27 percent). This gap has increased over time; in 1999, it was only 3 percent, with women ahead of men (30 percent to 27 percent).

The survey also found a high correlation between educational level and income.

In 2008, the average annual income for those with an advanced degree was $83,144, compared to an average annual income of $58,613 for those with a bachelor’s degree. In the same year, the annual average income for high school degree diploma holders was $31,283.

Marital status for 25-year-olds and above also had impact on the statistics for advanced degree holders: 66 percent of women and 76 percent of men with advanced degrees were married with a partner present. Of these, 65 percent of the women had bachelor’s degrees compared to 71 percent for the men.

These statistics clearly show a rise in the rate of college graduates among Asians in the past decade. In 1999, the number of those holding bachelor’s degrees was 43,800,000. By 2009, this number had increased by 34 percent, reaching 58,600,000. The rate of high school diploma holders among those over 25 was 87 percent in 2009 of whom 30 percent hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

The Korea Times,Translated from Korean by Sun-Yong Reinish.