Considering that the US is an extremely diverse nation with various ethnic groups residing within it, it is quite interesting to note the most educated ethnic groups in America.
Since racial discrimination has been such a controversial topic for several years, most of us have knowledge of the major races that the United States is home to, like blacks, whites and Native Americans. You can learn more about their education from the 6 most educated races in America. But what knowledge do we have of ethnic groups and what exactly is the difference between the two terms? Well, race has more to do with biology. It is what causes dissimilarities in appearance like distinctive skin colors. Ethnicity, on the other hand, refers to ancestry, origin, and culture. For instance, a person of Mexican origins settled in the US will be a part of the ethnic group referred to as Mexican Americans. They may have been born in America or elsewhere, but their ancestry is what will classify them when it comes to ethnicity. The place of birth is, therefore, not the deciding factor.
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Unfortunately, there is no consolidated or recent report catering to the education of all or at least a majority of the ethnic groups in the USA, which we could use to come up with a solid ranking. Therefore, we decided to merely report those ethnic groups, the education of which has been proven to be very advanced. With extensive research, we stumbled upon various surveys, studies, and reports that aided us to compile a reliable list, if not a definitive one. Please note that all percentages given must be approached with caution. Without further ado, let’s move on and have a look at the 7 most educated ethnic groups in America.
7. Venezuelan Americans
Venezuelan Americans are a subgroup of the Hispanic or Latino community. Those of you who are well versed with the education of Hispanics in America might be shocked to see one of their groups here, as a broad view suggests that the Hispanic community in America is not as well educated as the rest of the nation’s citizens. But when we analyze the ethnic groups within Latinos, we find that Venezuelan Americans are in fact a lot more literate than the rest. As per the research conducted by the Pew Research Center on people originating from Venezuela, 50% of this ethnic group (25+) have attained at least a bachelor degree, a much higher percentage compared to the rest of the country. Furthermore, as per this report issued by the National Center for Education Statistics, the college participation rate of Venezuelan Americans is 62%, the most out of all ethnic groups within Hispanics in America.
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6. Iranian Americans
The Bureau of International Operation Programs reported the research carried out by the Iranian Studies Group, the conclusion of which put Iranian Americans at the top in the matter of education. The study revealed that 25% of Iranian Americans have a master’s or doctoral degree. Although the study does not provide a combined percentage of the number of people who have a bachelor’s degree or higher, the aforementioned rate does present a clear picture of how learned the community is.
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5. Chinese Americans
Asian Americans make up approximately 6% of the population of America, and out of that, the highest percentage is taken up by Chinese Americans. Asians are often stereotyped as being extremely intelligent, and this piece by John Hopkins School of Education proposes that due to the pressure to conform to the stereotype, high school dropout rates among this community are also greater. However, that might not be true for all ethnic groups within the Asian American community, as with Chinese Americans, 51% of whom (25+) have attained a college degree.
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4. Korean Americans
It is no surprise that another ethnic group pertaining to Asian Americans has made it on our list of 7 most educated ethnic groups in America. Almost two million Korean Americans currently inhabit the US and their education can be measured by the fact that 53% of them (25+) claim to have a college degree, be it a bachelor’s degree or higher.
3. Nigerian Americans
Although Nigerian Americans who rank third in our list of most educated ethnic groups in America are not abundant in the nation, they are educated to a greater extent than the white population. Chron reports that 58% of this ethnic group has a college degree of some sort. Breaking it down, 37% Nigerian Americans have bachelor’s degrees, 17% have master’s degrees and 1% have doctorate degrees. Quite impressive, considering that the corresponding number for whites in the country is merely 28%. This data is further corroborated by the surveys conducted by Rice University and the Houston Chronicle (as reported by Bet), confirming the fact that Nigerian Americans are in fact highly educated.
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2. Jewish Americans
Some of you may be baffled seeing Jews on a list of ethnic groups, but this study suggests that 62% of Jews in the US declare that being a Jew has to do with ancestry rather than religion, while 23% think that it has to do with both factors. A mere 15% are of the view that religion is the reason behind being a Jew. So, we decided to veer towards the perspective of the majority and consider this minority as an ethnic group. We also uncovered that 59% of Jewish Americans are college graduates, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Furthermore, almost 45% of this ethnic group have an annual household income higher than $100,000.
1. Indian Americans
According to the Pew Research Center, Indian Americans, are one of the most educated groups in America. To be more precise, 40.6% possess graduate or professional degrees while 32.3% have been granted bachelor’s degrees. Furthermore, owing to their educated status, almost 70% Indian Americans work in fields like science, business, and arts and earn a lot more annually than an average American citizen or even an average Asian citizen. In fact, they are the highest earning ethnic group in the country, Voice of America reports, putting them on number one on our list of 7 most educated ethnic groups in America.
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