Hindus are the most highly educated religious group in the United States, followed by Jews, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center. The findings come from the organization’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS), one of the most comprehensive surveys of religion and public life in the country.
The Washington-based think tank said the study examined educational attainment across America’s major faith communities. According to the report, seven-in-ten Hindus (70 per cent) and 65 per cent of Jews have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. In comparison, 35 per cent of US adults overall hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Other religious groups also show above-average levels of higher education. More than four in 10 Muslims, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians have at least a bachelor’s degree. Mainline Protestant Christians were also found to have higher educational attainment than the national average.
By contrast, the percentage of college graduates among Evangelical Protestants, Catholics, and members of historically Black Protestant churches was lower than the national average, the study said.
According to Pew, the overall U.S. adult population includes around four in 10 people with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This highlights the wide educational gaps that exist between different religious groups in the country.
The report noted that immigration and demographic patterns help explain some of these differences. Many Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists in the United States came through higher-education or skilled-worker immigration pathways. These pathways often require advanced education or specialized skills, which may contribute to the higher levels of college attainment seen in those communities.
The Religious Landscape Study surveyed 36,908 U.S. adults. The survey was conducted over several months, from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024. Researchers say the large sample size makes it one of the most detailed and reliable studies of religion in America today.
Overall, the findings provide a detailed look at how educational attainment varies across religious groups in the United States. The data also show how immigration trends and professional pathways have helped shape the educational profile of certain communities, especially Hindus, who rank at the top in terms of college attainment.
