College degrees in the U.S. are at a record high, but what does that mean for earnings?

Data from 2015 show 26.1 percent living in Ohio had attained a bachelor’s degree, lower than the national average.

The new statistics were released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau in a report Educational Attainment in the United States: 2016, prepared using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But the 2016 data also show a wide disparity in wages between workers with little schooling and those with advanced educations. Annual earnings for those 25 and older whose education ended with high school was $35,615. Those with a bachelor’s degree averaged $65,482 compared with $92,525 for those with an advanced degree.

Other highlights as reported by the Census Bureau include:

Higher attainment for Asians, whites: The Asian and non-Hispanic white populations were more likely to hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.9 percent and 37.3 percent, respectively, when compared with the black population at 23.3 percent and the Hispanic population at 16.4 percent in 2016.

More finishing high school: Of the U.S. population 25 years and older, 89.1 percent had completed high school (or equivalent) or more education in 2016. A decade earlier, in 2006, 85.5 percent had completed high school or more education.

Females with no more than high school fare poorly: In 2016, average earnings for males 25 and older whose highest education was high school were $41,942. By comparison, average earnings among females in this category in 2016 were $26,832.

Females with bachelor's degrees also behind males: In 2016, average earnings for males 25 and older with a bachelor's degree were $79,927. By comparison, average earnings for females in this category in 2016 were $50,856.

Bachelor's degree attainment varies by citizenship, where born: The native born were more likely than the foreign-born to have a bachelor's degree or higher (33.6 percent vs 32.4 percent). Among the foreign-born, 38.4 percent of naturalized citizens had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 26.5 percent of non-citizens.