Based on newly released data from the 2002 American Community Survey (ACS), the Lincoln metropolitan area was among the top tier in a ranking of 157 metro areas with 250,000 population or more. Other large metro areas with some of the highest rates of high-school graduation among its residents were Madison, Wis. (93.7 percent); Boulder-Longmont, Colo. (93.6 percent); Provo-Orem, Utah (92.1 percent); Eugene-Springfield, Ore. (91.4 percent); Seattle-Bellevue, Wash. (91.2 percent); Tallahassee, Fla. (91.1 percent); and Anchorage, Alaska (91.0 percent). The high school completion rates include people who passed equivalency tests. (See attached tables [Excel 40k].) “Planners and policy-makers have told us that they use education data such as these to attract businesses and jobs to their areas,” said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. “The education level of the nation’s workforce is critical for economic development and for maintaining a strong and healthy economy.”

       States with some of the highest percentages of high school graduates were Wyoming (90.2 percent); Utah (90.1 percent); Minnesota (89.8 percent); Alaska (89.7 percent); Nebraska (89.3 percent); and Washington (89.1 percent). All were well above the national rate of 82.6 percent.

       Looking at the 231 counties surveyed by the ACS, the data showed that an estimated 95 percent of Howard County, Md.’s population had high school diplomas. Other counties at the top of the list included Johnson County, Kan. (94.5 percent); Lancaster County, Neb., and Dakota County, Minn. (both at 94.3 percent); and Dane County, Wis. (93.7 percent).

       The data further showed that about 9-in-10 residents (of a handful of large cities) were high school graduates. They were Raleigh, N.C. (92 percent); Seattle (91.1 percent); Anchorage (91 percent); and Virginia Beach, Va. (90.6 percent). Among the 64 large cities covered, Santa Ana, Calif., had the lowest percentage of high school graduates (44.8 percent).

       Other survey highlights:

• The percentage of high school graduates in the United States increased 1 percentage point between 2000 and 2002, from 81.6 to 82.6 percent.

• Five of the top 10 states with the highest estimated percentages of high school graduates were located in the West (Alaska, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming).

• Three states with high estimated percentages of high school graduates (Alaska, Minnesota and New Hampshire) also were among states with the highest estimated median household incomes.

       Additional information and data profiles for the nation, states, counties and places can be accessed at <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/> or <http://factfinder.census.gov>.

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