Number of College-Bound Pennsylvania High School Graduates Continue to Grow

             March 19, 1998


  Number of College-Bound Pennsylvania 
 High School Graduates Continue to Grow

     MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- The percentage of
Pennsylvania high school graduates moving on to
college continues to increase.  "It is encouraging
to see that more females are college-bound," says
Loida Esbri, Executive Director of the PA
Commission for Women.  "More and more young women
are realizing the need for education and the link
to upward mobility within a competitive society.
More women are setting goals and have the drive
to achieve them", continues Esbri.

     Statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania State
Data Center at Penn State Harrisburg show a total of
122,610 students graduated in June, 1996, from high
schools across the Commonwealth as compared to
120,965 in 1995.  

     According to the State Department of Education,
69.9 percent of these graduates were college-bound,
with females (74.6) exceeding males (65.1).  This is
slightly higher than in 1995 where 69.3 percent were
college-bound (73.5 percent female and 64.9 percent
male).

     Among public school graduates, 67.5 percent
were college-bound and for private and nonpublic
schools the rate was 85.1 percent.  The public school-
educated college-bound graduates have increased at a
faster rate than their private and nonpublic
counterparts.

     In public schools, more females than males in all
racial/ethnic groups were college-bound    72.7
percent for females and 62.1 percent for males.  The
same holds true for gender in private and nonpublic
schools -- 86.1 percent female, 83.9 percent male.
However, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic males
outpaced females (97.6 percent male/92.5 percent
female and 85.2 percent male/74.5 percent female,
respectively).

     More Asian/Pacific Islander high school
graduates (86 percent) went on to college than any
other group; White students followed with 70.2 percent,
American Indian/Alaska Native with 69.6 percent, Black
with 65.9 percent, and Hispanic with 59.4 percent. 

     Montour County again had the highest
percentage of college-bound public school graduates in
1996 (78 percent) followed by Allegheny (77.9 percent),
Lackawanna (75.5 percent), and Northampton, Chester
and Montgomery (each at 74.5 percent).  Counties with
the lowest college-bound rate include: Forest (45.8
percent), Fulton (46.4 percent), Juniata (47.9 percent). 

     The earnings of college graduates are higher
than those without a degree.  National figures for 1996
show median income increases steadily with education. 
For persons lacking a high school diploma, the mean
annual income was $24,575, for high school graduates
it leaped to $38,563.  For persons with associate's
degrees, income climbed to $51,176.  For those with
bachelor's degrees, the median income was $64,293
and for master's degrees it was $76,065.  Average
income varied by age, gender and race, but in all cases
increased with education.

     The state-sponsored Pennsylvania State Data Center
is the Commonwealth's official source of population and
economic statistics and services. It is based at Penn State
Harrisburg's Institute of State and Regional Affairs.

___________________________________________

Editors:  For more information, contact Lesley Nearman at
the Data Center's State Capital Office, (717) 772-2710, or
the Penn State Harrisburg's Public Information Office, (717)
948-6029.

Source of Information:	U.S. Census Bureau ; PA Dept of
			Education
			
Accompany Table:        Public, Private and Nonpublic College-Bound High School Graduates for Pennsylvania Counties, 1995-1996