Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed. Higher educational attainment of parents has been associated with a range of health and social outcomes, including lower levels of child mortality and improved educational outcomes of their children (Balaj, York, Sripada, et al.; National Center for Education Statistics). Over the past decade, parental educational attainment has increased overall, with higher percentages of children living in households in which at least one parent had completed a college degree (National Center for Education Statistics). 

Considerations for Equitable Approaches: Parental educational attainment varies across racial and ethnic groups. The percentage of children who live in households in which no parent had completed high school was highest among Hispanic children. The percentage of children who live in households in which the highest level of education attained by either parent was at least a bachelor’s degree is highest for Asian American children and lowest for Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native children (National Center for Education Statistics). Although high parental educational attainment is associated with better outcomes for youth, studies have shown that this association is systemically less significant for Hispanic and Black youth than non-Hispanic White youth, (Assari, Caldwell, Bazargan).