沒有高中畢業 只有高中畢業 高中以上學士以下 學士及學士以上 高科技工作 1973 7% 31% 21% 42% 1998 1% 14% 34% 52% 教育及護理工作 1973 4% 15% 13% 69% 1998 1% 6% 18% 75% 管理及財經工作 1973 9% 33% 21% 38% 1998 2% 18% 27% 52% 資料來源：Current population survey (March, 1974 & 1999). Carnevale A. P., & Desrochers, D.M. (2001), Help Wanted… credentials required community colleges in the knowledge economy. Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, Figures 3-5.
白人 非洲裔 西裔 高中沒畢業 6％ 13％ 37％ 只有高中畢業 26％ 26％ 11％ 高中以上，學士學位以下 32％ 40％ 37％ 學士學位以上 36％ 21％ 15％ 資料來源：U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Statistics Quarterly, Vol. 3, Issue 2, Summer 2001, p.10. NCES 2001-605.
表三：各級教育每位學生平均費用：國際比較，1997
Expenditures per student1 (in equivalent U.S. dollars converted using PPPs² ) on public and private institutionsPrimary education Secondary education Higher education
Country mean $3,851 $5,273 $8,612
Australia 3,633 5,570 11,240
Austria 6,258 8,213 9,993
Belgium 3,813 6,938 7,834
Canada ----- ----- 14,809
Czech Republic 1,954 3,641 5,351
Denmark 6,596 7,198 7,294
Finland 4,639 5,065 7,145
France 3,621 6,564 7,177
Germany 3,490 6,149 9,466
Greece 2,351 2,581 3,990
Hungary 2,035 2,093 5,430
Ireland 2,574 3,864 7,998
Italy 5,073 6,284 5,972
Japan 5,202 5,917 10,157
Korea 3,308 3,518 6,844
Mexico 935 1,726 4,519
Netherlands 3,335 4,992 9,989
Norway 6,315 6,973 10,108
Poland 1,435 ----- 4,395
Portugal 3,248 4,264 -----
Spain 3,180 4,274 5,166
Sweden 5,491 5,437 12,981
Switzerland 6,237 9,045 16,376
Turkey ----- ----- 2,397
United Kingdom 3,206 4,609 8,169
United States 5,718 7,320 17,466