Seven in 10 Hindus in the U.S. have college degrees, highest among religious groups, study shows

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

Key points:

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.