Oregon Education: Report Says State Lagging in Residents with Higher Degree

The number of Oregonians ages 25-64 who attended college but did not get a degree is nearly five percent higher than the national average.

That's according to a report issued Monday by the Lumina Foundation, a not-for-profit that studied data from the U.S. Census Bureau through 2014.

Lumina has released a report each year on the topic since 2009 when they set a goal that 60 percent of Americans should have a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2025.

Based on 2014 data, 44.7 percent of Oregonians met that level of attainment, just below the national number of 45.3 percent.

The report found that 555,381 Oregonians ages 25-64 left college without a degree, roughly 26 percent of the age group compared to 861,137 who had at least an associate degree, roughly 40 percent of the people in the age group.

Washington County had the highest percentage of residents in the metro area with at least an associate degree - 50.03 percent. They are followed by Mutnomah County with 49.55 percent and Clackamas 42.16 percent.

The report found that the situation in the state has improved every year since 2008.

Oregon saw a four percent increase in the number of residents with a quality post-secondary credential from 2013-2014.