- The USA has the highest number of educated immigrants in the world
- The USA ranks 6th among 12 countries in terms of percentage of immigrants with a college degree
- 80% of immigrants from India are college educated
While the USA is making a number of changes to its immigration policies, a large percentage of the native population is not against high skilled immigrants in the USA. In fact, the USA is home to the highest number of educated immigrants in the world. Read on to find out more.
Unlike what you might perceive, not every American is against immigrants. According to a study conducted by
The study was conducted across 12 countries:
The study was conducted across 12 countries
View Towards High Skilled Immigrants; The USA Vs The Other 11 Countries
78% of about 8 of every 10 American adult citizens support high skilled immigration. This places the USA at around a middle-ranking among the 12 countries the study was conducted in.
The average percentage in support of high skilled immigration among all 12 countries is about 73%. Thus the USA lies above the median. The percentage of US citizens in support of high skilled immigration is exceeded by Australia, Germany, Canada, the UK, and Sweden.
It is interesting to note that like the USA, all of these countries are trying to reduce overall immigration. Only Israel, Italy and the Netherlands were not very enthusiastic about high skilled immigration.
| Country | Percentage Opposes | Percentage Supports |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 11 | 88 |
| UK | 12 | 85 |
| Canada | 14 | 84 |
| Germany | 18 | 81 |
| Australia | 19 | 79 |
| USA | 19 | 78 |
| France | 31 | 68 |
| Spain | 31 | 67 |
| Netherlands | 36 | 61 |
| Greece | 42 | 54 |
| Israel | 51 | 42 |
| Italy | 50 | 35 |
High Skilled Immigrants In The USA – Educational Qualifications
More than one-third of all immigrants in the USA hold degrees in varying fields. This places the country in the middle of the ranking system with respect to advanced economies with high immigration.
Highly educated immigrants constitute of a majority percentage only in two countries; Canada and Australia.
The UK, Israel, and Sweden are also ahead of the USA with regards to the educational qualifications of their immigrants. The USA is ahead of Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Greece, and Italy.
| Country | Percentage of Immigrants With A College Degree |
|---|---|
| Canada | 65 |
| Australia | 63 |
| UK | 49 |
| Israel | 49 |
| Sweden | 41 |
| USA | 36 |
| Spain | 29 |
| Netherlands | 28 |
| France | 26 |
| Germany | 22 |
| Greece | 22 |
| Italy | 14 |
It is important to note that while keeping the above statistics in mind, the USA boasts of the highest number of immigrants with a college education in the world. As per a study conducted in 2015, around 14.7 million immigrants in the USA had a college degree or a postsecondary diploma.
This is about thrice the number of college-educated immigrants in Canada and four times the number of college-educated immigrants in the UK. Other countries with a high number of educated immigrants include Australia, France, and Germany.
| Country | College Educated Immigrants (in Million) |
|---|---|
| USA | 14.7 |
| Canada | 4.4 |
| UK | 3.4 |
| Australia | 3 |
| Germany | 2 |
| France | 1.8 |
| Spain | 1.4 |
| Israel | 0.8 |
| Italy | 0.7 |
| Sweden | 0.5 |
| Netherlands | 0.5 |
| Greece | 0.2 |
High Skilled Immigrants In the USA – Factors Influencing Immigrant Education Profiles
The rising education levels in the USA are a result of many factors including better educational facilities in the countries the immigrants originate from and an increased number of highly skilled immigrants from Asia and Africa.
52% of immigrants from China and 80% of immigrants from India are college educated. Many African immigrants also have an average educational qualification that surpasses their American peers. In contrast, only 9% of Mexican immigrants above the age of 25 have had a college education.
With the proposed changes to the US immigration system made by the Trump administration, the percentage of educated immigrants in the USA may be set to rise further.
In Canada, the changing demographics have been a gradual result of the points-based system introduced in 1967. This system favored immigrants with higher educational qualifications.
As a result, the percentage of immigrants with a college education increased over a decade from 13% in 1971 to 44% in 1981. After four decades, nearly 63% of Canada’s immigrant population has a post-secondary education.
Educational Levels in the USA: Immigrants vs Native Population
In many countries, the percentage of immigrants with college degrees or diplomas is roughly the same as the native population.
However, in the USA, 40% of the native population has a post-secondary diploma. This is much higher than the percentage of immigrants with similar qualifications.
Also See
- Illegal Migrant Population in the USA is Dipping
- India now 4th Largest Source of Illegal Immigrants in the USA
- USA Immigration and the American Dream – Believers and the Non-Believers
- Changing Demographics Of Immigrants In The USA
