Back again with a random question - what percentage of the US military has a college degree? Does this differ between branches or does it remain relatively consistent?
The educational attainment of Armed Forces members can vary quite a bit by branch, but generally, you'll find a decent percentage of service members have earned a degree. According to the Defense Manpower Data Center's Statistical Information Analysis Division, about 15.4% of enlisted personnel in the US military have a bachelor's degree or higher, and an additional 5.6% have an associate degree. Among officers, the percentage with a bachelor's or higher jumps significantly to 82.8%.
As for differences among branches; for the Army, 17.1% of enlisted members have a bachelor's or higher, followed by the Navy at 14.6%, the Air Force at 14.3%, and the Marines at 8.2%. For officers, the percentages with a bachelor's or higher are similar across all branches, all around 80-83%. These statistics were retrieved from the profile of active-duty military members, as of 2020.
It's worth noting that many service members continue their education while serving and the military offers numerous educational benefits that assist with obtaining degrees. Indeed, educational opportunities and benefits are often a motivating factor for individuals to enter the U.S. military. These percentages are also on an upward trend, as the military incentivizes education and professional development.
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