America's immigrants split by education levels

The Census Bureau has a new report, showing how diverse the education experience is for immigrants in this country. It compares different groups and is very interesting to see the breakdown. DP

Opportunities for schooling draw foreign-born to the United States

By Darnell Little and Kristen Kridel | Tribune reporters

America's foreign-born population is highly fragmented along educational lines, with a large portion of immigrants possessing relatively low levels of education while sizable elite have attained advanced degrees, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report found that a much smaller percentage of foreign-born adults had completed high school compared with their native-born counterparts—nearly 88 percent of native-born Americans versus 68 percent of foreign born adults.

But that 20 point difference shrinks close to zero when looking at adults who have attained a college degree. Almost 28 percent of native-born adults had at least a bachelor's degree, compared with 27 percent of foreign-born adults.

And slightly more foreign-born adults have an advanced degree (11 percent) than native-born adults (10 percent), according to the report, which describes the level of school completed by adults age 25 or older in 2007.

"The report does a pretty good job of highlighting just how diverse the educational experiences are of the foreign-born population," said Sarah R. Crissey, the report's author. "I think it's an interesting portrait of what our current work force is."

Junaid Afeef's parents moved their family from India to the United States when he was 4 years old for one reason only—education.

Despite growing up without the mentors and resources of his American-born classmates, Afeef went on to receive a law degree from American University.

"Education was the thing," said Afeef of Hoffman Estates. "There was nothing more important than getting educated, going to college, getting an advanced degree."
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