The Credentialed Majority

U.S. Labor Force · 1992–2026

The Credentialed Majority

In 1992, about one in four American workers age 25 and up had a bachelor’s degree. Today it’s nearly one in two. The rise has been steady across every recession and every boom.

Method: Share of the U.S. civilian labor force age 25 and over holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, computed monthly from BLS Current Population Survey levels across all four education categories (less than high school, high school only, some college/associate degree, bachelor’s+). This is a companion to The Credential Gap, which charts unemployment across these same categories — this chart is the denominator shifting underneath that one.

January 1992 26.2% of the labor force, 25 yrs & over
July 2026 45.1% of the labor force, 25 yrs & over
Change +19.0pts 1.7× the 1992 share
Bachelor’s degree or higher, share of labor force (25+)
Line chart of the share of the U.S. civilian labor force age 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher, rising from about 26 percent in January 1992 to about 45 percent in July 2026
Bachelor’s+ share