Based on the US Census ACS-5Yrs estimates, in 2021, the Illinois population aged 25 years and above was 8,764,878. See the following sections for the breakdown of the educational attainment of this important demography by race and ethnicity.
Less high school diploma: there were 885,321 people without a high school diploma (ie. 10.10% of people aged 25yrs+). The race composition of this group includes, 51.19% White Alone, and 16.45% Black Alone.
High School Graduate or Equivalent: there were 2,226,182 people with a high school diploma or equivalent (ie. 25.40% of people aged 25yrs+). The race composition of this group includes, 71.31% White Alone, and 14.98% Black Alone.
Some College or Associates Degree: there were 2,483,806 people with some college courses without a degree or an associates degree (ie. 28.34% of people aged 25yrs+). The race composition of this group includes, 71.70% White Alone, and 17.00% Black Alone.
Bachelors Degree or higher: there were 3,169,569 people with a bachelors degree or a higher degree (ie. 36.16% of people aged 25yrs+). The race composition of this group includes, 75.10% White Alone, and 8.64% Black Alone.
The first and second charts below shows the race and ethnicity composition at each educational level. Also see tables below for the population and percentages per race and per ethnicity for each educational level.
You can see similar information for other states and for the United States.
You may also be interested in: Educational Attainment of Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) By Race in 2021
Educational Attainment of Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) By Ethnicity in 2021
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with Less than High School Diploma Per Race in 2021
| Race | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| White Alone | 453197 | 51.19 |
| Black Alone | 145648 | 16.45 |
| Asian Alone | 46406 | 5.24 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native Alone | 7451 | 0.84 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pac. Islander Alone | 403 | 0.05 |
| Some Other Race Alone | 165958 | 18.75 |
| Two or More Races | 66258 | 7.48 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with Less than High School Diploma Per Ethnicity in 2021
| Ethnicity | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Alone | 302959 | 34.22 |
| Hispanic or Latino of All Races | 379996 | 42.92 |
| All Other Ethnicities | 202366 | 22.86 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with High School Diploma or Equivalent Per Race in 2021
| Race | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| White Alone | 1587551 | 71.31 |
| Black Alone | 333365 | 14.98 |
| Asian Alone | 53603 | 2.41 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native Alone | 7595 | 0.34 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pac. Islander Alone | 770 | 0.04 |
| Some Other Race Alone | 145283 | 6.53 |
| Two or More Races | 98015 | 4.40 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with High School Diploma or Equivalent Per Ethnicity in 2021
| Ethnicity | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Alone | 1427652 | 64.13 |
| Hispanic or Latino of All Races | 382360 | 17.18 |
| All Other Ethnicities | 416170 | 18.69 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with Some College Courses or an Associates Degree Per Race in 2021
| Race | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| White Alone | 1780916 | 71.70 |
| Black Alone | 422112 | 17.00 |
| Asian Alone | 72735 | 2.93 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native Alone | 6602 | 0.27 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pac. Islander Alone | 1115 | 0.05 |
| Some Other Race Alone | 97813 | 3.94 |
| Two or More Races | 102513 | 4.13 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with Some College Courses or an Associates Degree Per Ethnicity in 2021
| Ethnicity | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Alone | 1645868 | 66.26 |
| Hispanic or Latino of All Races | 297265 | 11.97 |
| All Other Ethnicities | 540673 | 21.77 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with a Bachelors Degree or Higher Per Race in 2021
| Race | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| White Alone | 2380174 | 75.10 |
| Black Alone | 273764 | 8.64 |
| Asian Alone | 340014 | 10.73 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native Alone | 5494 | 0.17 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pac. Islander Alone | 1192 | 0.04 |
| Some Other Race Alone | 59919 | 1.89 |
| Two or More Races | 109012 | 3.44 |
Illinois Population (aged 25yrs+) with a Bachelors Degree or Higher Per Ethnicity in 2021
| Ethnicity | Population | Percent (%) |
|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Alone | 2279126 | 71.91 |
| Hispanic or Latino of All Races | 213864 | 6.75 |
| All Other Ethnicities | 676579 | 21.35 |
