2002 High School Sophomores, 10 Years Later

The 57 percent majority of 2002 high school sophomores had earned a postsecondary credential by 2012-13, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Educational attainment of 2002 high school sophomores in 2012-13
Master's degree or more: 8%
Bachelor's degree: 33%
Associate's degree: 10%
Undergraduate certificate: 7%
30+ postsecondary credits, no credential: 20%
0 to 30 postsecondary credits, no credential: 22%

In a longitudinal survey of high school sophomores, the federal government asked 10th graders in 2002 about their educational expectations. Ten years later, researchers compared expectations with reality and found they don't always align. Among 10th graders who expected to earn a bachelor's degree, a substantial 43 percent had no postsecondary credentials 10 years later and only 40 percent had earned a bachelor's degree.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002): A First Look at the Postsecondary Transcripts of 2002 High School Sophomores