Bay State is tops in college completion, not so hot for immigrants’ high school completion

The education gap between native-born citizens and immigrants is apparently higher in Massachusetts than in most states, according to a new report by the US Census Bureau.

Last week’s press release from the Census Bureau had a rather tabloid-ish headline: “Foreign-Born Exceed the Native-Born in Advanced Degrees.” In fact, the rate of completion is higher among immigrants, but there are still more native-born Americans with advanced degrees. The Census Bureau estimates that 9.9 percent of the 166 million native-born Americans over the age of 25 have such degrees, compared with 10.9 percent of the 32 million foreign-born over 25.

And to a far greater extent, the foreign-born “exceed” the native-born at the other end of the education scale:  32.0 percent of immigrants over 25 have not completed high school, compared with 12.4 percent of native-born Americans in the same age group.

State-by-state data on the completion of advanced degrees are not available, but Massachusetts ranks first in the attainment of bachelor’s degrees: 37.9 percent of all residents over 25, versus 27.5 percent at the national level. (Colorado is runner-up, at 35.0 percent.) But the Bay State is 12th in the share of its immigrant population with bachelor’s degrees: 34.2 percent, versus the national average of 26.9 percent.

In several of our economic competitor states (including Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) foreign-born residents are significantly more likely to have college degrees than native-born residents, but the reverse seems to be true here.

Our high rate of college completion does not mean that Massachusetts is a model state in all things educational. The same Census Bureau survey puts us in a tie for 17th place for high school completion: 88.5 percent of adults over 25 have a high school diploma, compared with a national average of 84.5 percent. First place in this category goes to Wyoming (91.2 percent), followed by pesky Minnesota (91.0). Last place goes to Mississippi (78.5 percent).

Among native-born residents, Massachusetts ranks a more respectable 10th in high-school completion (91.3 percent vs. 87.6 percent nationally), but we rank 19th when it comes to foreign-born residents (74.9 percent high-school completion vs. 68.0 percent nationally). It seems unlikely, perhaps impossible, for Massachusetts to break into the high-school completion Top 10 unless special attention is paid to our large immigrant population.