A new Pew Research Center study shows that Hindus are the most educated religious group in the United States, as measured by the share of adults with at least a bachelor’s degree.The findings come from the Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, which surveyed tens of thousands of U.S. adults on their religious identities and social characteristics, including education.
Seven out of 10 Hindus have a degree
About 7 in 10 Hindu adults in the United States have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the Pew Research Center. This is the highest share of any major religious group in the survey.Several other religious groups also have high levels of education.
U.S. adults with four-year college degrees
- Hindus 70%
- Anglicans 67%
- Jewish 65%
- Agnostic 53%
- Atheists 48%
- Muslims 44%
- Buddhists 41%
- Catholics 35%
- The national average is 35%
- Evangelicals 29%
Key points:
- Jews ranked second. About six in 10 Jewish adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, second only to Hindus.
- Overall, mainline Protestant churches have a higher share of college graduates than the overall U.S. average. Catholics and Orthodox are closer to the national average when it comes to adults with a bachelor’s degree.
- Among Muslims in the United States, about 4 in 10 adults have at least a bachelor’s degree. This is higher than the U.S. average, but lower than that of Hindus and Jews.
- Near the bottom of the list are groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and historically black Protestant churches. Compared with the national average, these groups have a smaller share of adults with college degrees.
What about atheists and agnostics?
Those who describe their religion as “nothing special” or consider themselves to be non-religious exhibit a wide range of educational levels. Atheists and agnostics make up a relatively high share of college graduates compared to the U.S. population as a whole.Overall, the Pew Research Center reports that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
What is the reason for this difference?
The study doesn’t say exactly why some religious groups have higher educational levels than others. But Pew said immigration patterns are an important factor for some communities. For example, many Hindu adults in the United States were born abroad. U.S. immigration rules generally favor those with higher education and professional job skills, which helps explain why this group has higher educational levels.The Religious Landscape Study is one of the most detailed surveys of religion in the United States. It is not just about religious beliefs and practices. It also collects information on education, income, age and other social and economic factors among different religious groups.
