Characteristics of College Graduates, with a Focus on Veterans

In 2017, roughly 3.7 million college graduates had served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, with nearly 250,000 currently serving. The total number of college graduates in the United States younger than 76 years exceeded 61 million, with more than 48 million of these graduates employed. Nearly half (44%) of employed college graduates had earned their highest degree in a science and engineering (S&E) field or an S&E-related field. Data for this InfoBrief are from the National Survey of College Graduates, which collected information on military status for the first time in 2017.