An educated population makes a more attractive workforce and is better prepared to instruct the next generation of residents. High educational attainment represents a region's investment in human capital and preparation for long-term growth.

The proportion of adults in 2017-21 with a bachelor's degree or higher was highest among Asian (52%) and white (37%) residents of the region, and far lower among African American (15%) and Hispanic (18%) residents. The region's Hispanic residents with a bachelor's degree were on par with the nation but lagged behind the New York State rate of 21%. The shares of African Americans with at least a bachelor's degree statewide and nationally were significantly higher than our region (10 points higher statewide, 8 points higher nationally).

The regional proportion of adults without high school diplomas was 7% among white residents, 20% among Asian residents, 21% among African American residents, and 25% among Hispanic residents. These disparities were again reflective of those on the statewide and national level, but the rate of African American residents without a high school diploma was notably higher in the region than in the state (15%) and nation (13%). The percentage of adults in the region without a high school diploma declined 19 percentage points since 2000 among Hispanics, 16 points for African American residents, and 7 points among white residents.

Compared to the region as a whole, the proportion of adults with at least a bachelor's degree in the City of Rochester was substantially lower among Asian (40%) residents, and a bit lower for African American (13%) and Hispanic (10%) residents as well. The percentage of adults who had not completed high school was higher in the City of Rochester for Asian (29%), Hispanic (33%) and white (11%) residents compared to the region.

There are a variety of factors believed to contribute to disparities in educational attainment. School systems in the United States are highly segregated, and students of color disproportionately attend schools with high proportions of low-income students who may not have benefited from early learning opportunities at the same rate as other students. Schools also have different levels of resources ranging from qualified/experienced teachers to advanced courses to facilities and technology, and schools with large Black and Latino populations often have lower levels. In addition, teachers across all school systems tend to be disproportionately white, and teaching practices and curriculum may not be culturally relevant to students of color. Low staff expectations at racially and economically segregated schools also contribute disparities in educational attainment. The accumulation of inequities leads to lower graduation rates and college matriculation, with college affordability acting as another barrier. When Black and Latino students enter higher education institutions, they are less likely to attain a college a degree given weaker academic preparation and financial hardship.

The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.