Loading…
1952-1972: How many grades of school did you finish? 1974,1976: What is highest grade of school or year of college you have completed? Did you get a high school diploma or pass a high school equivalency test? Do you have a college degree? (IF YES:) What degree is that? 1978-1984: What is highest grade of school or year of college you have completed? Did you get a high school diploma or pass a high school equivalency test? Do you have a college degree? (IF YES:) What is the highest degree that you have earned? 1986-2008: What is highest grade of school or year of college you have completed? Did you get a high school diploma or pass a high school equivalency test? What is the highest degree that you have earned? 2012: What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?
Respondent education level, four categories · Asked in 33 waves, 1948–2024 · 73,577 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Codes that include 'no Pre/Post IW' were dropped for respondents without that interview. Dropped only in years where the codebook names a design split (alternate form, half sample, abbreviated or web instrument): 0 in 1992. Kept and flagged: 0 (other_missing). Codebook notes: GENERAL NOTE: See also VCF0140. Code 4 includes 1 case in 1968, 2 cases in 1976 and 4 cases in 1974 which were designated by respondents as ‘honorary degrees.’ Uncodeable Other mentions are included I missing data. 1948 NOTE 1: Question wording is undocumented. 1948 NOTE 2: No distinction was made between Rs holding college degrees and those who attended college but did not receive a degree. All cases coded ‘college’ in 1948 are coded 3 – there are no cases coded 4 for 1948. 1960 NOTE: Personal data forms were completed for no-pre cases: data from these forms were incorporated. 1992 NOTE: This was not part of the ‘short-form’ questionnaire; for short-form panel cases, however, 1990 study data were incorporated. 1994 NOTE: For panel cases, 1992 data were incorporated. 2002 NOTE: For panel cases, 2000 data were incorporated. 2004 NOTE: 1 respondent who did not indicate highest grade, but who indicated no high school diploma, has been coded 2. 2020: For the 2020 Time Series, all responses that were less than a high school credential were recoded into a single code.
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2024 Time Series Study Source variable: V241465x. | 2024-08-03 to 2025-02-17 | mixed | 5,521 | 5,521 |
| ANES 2020 Time Series Study Source variable: V201511x. | 2020-08-18 to 2021-01-04 | mixed | 8,280 | 8,280 |
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161270. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,270 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: dem_edu. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083218x. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,322 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043254. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,212 |
| ANES 2002 Time Series Study Source variable: V023131. | 2002-09-18 to 2002-12-06 | phone | 1,511 | 1,511 |
| ANES 2000 Time Series Study |
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Grade school or less (0-8 grades); 2020: less than high school credential | High school (12 grades or fewer, incl. non-college training if applicable) | Some college (13 grades or more but no degree; 1948 ONLY: college, no identification of degree status) | College or advanced degree (no cases 1948) | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 8% | 27% | 31% | 34% | 5521 | ±2 | |
| Democrats | 6% | 21% | 28% | 44% | 1930 | ±3 | |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 10% | 27% | 31% | 33% | 1810 | ±3 | |
| Republicans | 8% | 33% | 34% | 26% | 1743 | ±3 |
ANES 2024 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 2000-09-05 to 2000-12-22 |
| mixed |
| 1,807 |
| 1,807 |
| ANES 1998 Time Series Study Source variable: V980577. | 1998-11-04 to 1998-12-23 | mixed | 1,281 | 1,281 |
| ANES 1996 Time Series Study Source variable: V960607,V960610. | 1996-09-03 to 1997-01-02 | mixed | 1,714 | 1,714 |
| ANES 1994 Time Series Study Source variable: V941206,V941209. | 1994-11-09 to 1995-01-08 | mixed | 1,795 | 1,795 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V923905,V923908. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,420 |
| ANES 1990 Time Series Study Source variable: V900557. | 1990-11-06 to 1991-01-21 | face to face | 1,980 | 1,980 |
| ANES 1988 Time Series Study Source variable: V880422. | 1988-09-06 to 1989-01-23 | face to face | 2,040 | 2,040 |
| ANES 1986 Time Series Study Source variable: V860602. | 1986-11-05 to 1987-02-07 | face to face | 2,176 | 2,176 |
| ANES 1984 Time Series Study Source variable: V840438. | 1984-09-04 to 1985-01-24 | mixed | 2,257 | 2,257 |
| ANES 1982 Time Series Study Source variable: V820542. | 1982-11-02 to 1983-01-31 | face to face | 1,418 | 1,418 |
| ANES 1980 Time Series Study Source variable: V800436. | 1980-09-02 to 1981-02-07 | face to face | 1,614 | 1,614 |
| ANES 1978 Time Series Study Source variable: V780513. | 1978-11-08 to 1979-01-25 | face to face | 2,304 | 2,304 |
| ANES 1976 Time Series Study Source variable: V763389. | 1976-09-07 to 1977-01-30 | face to face | 2,248 | 2,248 |
| ANES 1974 Time Series Study Source variable: V742418. | 1974-11-06 to 1975-01-31 | face to face | 1,575 | 1,575 |
| ANES 1972 Time Series Study Source variable: V720300. | 1972-09-01 to 1973-02-13 | face to face | 2,705 | 2,705 |
| ANES 1970 Time Series Study Source variable: V700269(type 0). | 1970-11-04 to 1971-01-13 | face to face | 1,507 | 1,507 |
| ANES 1968 Time Series Study Source variable: V680156. | 1968-09-06 to 1969-01-28 | face to face | 1,557 | 1,557 |
| ANES 1966 Time Series Study Source variable: V660197. | 1966-11-08 to 1967-02-01 | face to face | 1,291 | 1,291 |
| ANES 1964 Time Series Study Source variable: V640196. | 1964-09-07 to 1965-02-01 | face to face | 1,571 | 1,571 |
| ANES 1962 Time Series Study Source variable: V620078. | 1962-11-07 | face to face | 1,297 | 1,297 |
| ANES 1960 Time Series Study Source variable: V600128. | 1960-09-12 to 1960-12-26 | face to face | 1,181 | 1,181 |
| ANES 1958 Time Series Study Source variable: V580180. | 1958-11-05 to 1958-12-25 | face to face | 1,450 | 1,450 |
| ANES 1956 Time Series Study Source variable: V560181. | 1956-09-17 to 1957-01-19 | face to face | 1,762 | 1,762 |
| ANES 1954 Time Series Study | 1954-10-01 to 1954-10-31 | face to face | 1,139 | 1,139 |
| ANES 1952 Time Series Study Source variable: V520131. | 1952-09-15 | face to face | 1,899 | 1,799 |
| ANES 1948 Time Series Study Source variable: V480048. | 1948-10-01 to 1948-12-31 | face to face | 662 | 659 |