Alma Maters of the 116th Congress - AccessLex · Massachusetts and the District of Columbia: Most...
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March 6, 2019 Alma Maters of the 116th Congress BY TAYLOR MILLER THOMAS, POLITICO PRO DATAPOINT Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Reps. Ron Kind (R-Wis.) and Van Taylor (R-Texas) are 4 of 18 members with Harvard undergraduate degrees, the most common alma mater in Congress. The cohort represents three percent of Congress – although Harvard, with a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,699 in the 2017-18 school year, represents less than 0.1 percent of total U.S. undergraduate enrollment. Forty-six members attended Ivy League schools, the most of any system, though these schools represent less than a percent of total U.S. postsecondary enrollment. Nearly 200 schools can boast of one current Congressional alum. Members of Congress share responsibility for setting federal education policy, including postsecondary education, an experience that nearly all lawmakers have in common — 519 of 538 sitting Senators, Representatives and non-voting delegates have an undergraduate degree. The collegiate backgrounds of Congress, however, look very different from the typical American educational experience. While almost the entire legislative body has at least a bachelor’s degree, only 21 percent of the country as a whole does. Graduate and doctoral degrees are also more common in Congress than they are across the rest of the country. Senators, in particular, are likelier to have attended private college and universities, compared with most Americans and members in the House. Massachusetts and the District of Columbia: Most popular college destinations Congress members’ alma maters span from the University of Guam to the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Massachusetts and California undergraduate schools yielded the most degrees, 39 and 59 total, respectively. Each of these states is a leader for separate reasons. Massachusetts was the most popular out-of-state college choice — 34 members who attended college in Massachusetts came from other states, while 38 California members stayed close to home and attended college within the Golden State. Top Congressional alma maters * Includes Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who has a degree from the Harvard Extension School ** Not a system, but grouped based on historical association *** Includes West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy. Harvard 18* 15 12 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 Stanford Georgetown Princeton Univ. of Wisc.-Madison Brigham Young Univ. Dartmouth West Point UC-Berkeley UCLA Univ. of Missouri Yale Most popular college systems 46** 18 13 12 10*** 9 8 8 8 7 Ivy League Univ. of Calif. System Cal State System Univ. System of Florida U.S. Service Academies UNC System Univ. of Mo. System Univ. System of Georgia Univ. System of Ohio Univ. of Wisc. System SD 4 FL 18 WY NM 3 ID 2 MT 2 ND 2 NE 3 KS 6 OK 6 AR 5 LA 5 MS 9 AL 9 TN 14 KY 5 WV 1 IN 11 IL 18 WI 10 MI 15 OH 16 VA 17 NC 16 SC 10 PA 16 NY 32 ME 3 GA 13 AK 1 UT 10 OR 5 NV 4 CO 7 AZ 5 HI 3 MN 7 IA 7 MO 10 TX 27 CA 59 WA 6 Congressional alma maters by state 12 CT 25 DC 0 DE 39 MA 3 VT 11 MD 2 Puerto Rico 2 Guam 6 NH 17 NJ 4 RI This map shows all undergraduate and associate degrees earned by members of the House and Senate; some members have more than one undergraduate degree or have both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree. PERCENTAGE WITH DEGREES TOTAL DEGREES Harvard, Ivy League, University of California system lead most popular institutions Types of college degrees held by Congress compared with U.S. population Master’s 37% 29% 9% Doctoral 6% 3% Bachelor’s 98% 21% 96% Professional 47% 33% 2% 8% LEGAL MEDICAL The U.S. Census Bureau defines professional degrees as those beyond bachelor’s degrees, including law, medical, dental and similar degrees. Nearly all representatives and senators have an undergraduate degree, compared with only 21 percent of all Americans 25 years or older. Trends for medical and doctoral degrees track slightly closer to the national rate, while lawyers are significantly overrepresented. With the exception of medical degrees, Democrats are likelier to have degrees at all levels compared with Republicans. Popular out-of-state MA DC NY CA VA 34 25 18 15 13 Popular in-state CA TX NY FL NC, MI, OH, PA 10 38 22 14 12 Where Congress earned their undergraduate degrees Representatives, Republicans likelier to have attended public universities PUBLIC PRIVATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY MILITARY SCHOOLS Sources: U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau, POLITICO Pro Congressional Directory, Roll Call Public institutions account for a higher total of degrees awarded across the entire U.S. population — about 64 percent of undergraduate degrees awarded in 2015 were from public colleges and universities. This trend holds true for House members, where 57 percent of all undergraduate degrees earned by Representatives were from public institutions. However, Senators were likelier to have attended private colleges and universities — 52 percent of their undergraduate degrees were from private schools. Republicans Democrats 35% 63% 3% 51% 49% 1% U.S. 2015 36% 64% House members 41% 57% 1% Senators 52% 45% 3% Americans 25 or older 1.5% 1.9% DEM GOP 287 255 115 82 132 84 5 19 17 7 DEM GOP 1 None 5 10 20+ Note: Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) caucus with the Democrats and are included in the party’s count. The total number of bachelor’s degrees exceed the total number of lawmakers because some hold more than one degree. Click here for more information about DataPoint, and your Account Manager will follow up shortly.
Transcript of Alma Maters of the 116th Congress - AccessLex · Massachusetts and the District of Columbia: Most...
March 6, 2019
Alma Maters of the 116th CongressBY TAYLOR MILLER THOMAS, POLITICO PRO DATAPOINT
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Reps. Ron Kind (R-Wis.) and Van Taylor (R-Texas) are 4 of 18 members with Harvard undergraduate degrees, the most common alma materin Congress. The cohort represents three percent of Congress – although Harvard, with a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,699 in the 2017-18 school year, represents less than 0.1 percent of total U.S. undergraduate enrollment.
Forty-six members attended Ivy League schools, the most of any system, though these schools represent less than a percent of total U.S. postsecondary enrollment.
Nearly 200 schools can boast of one current Congressional alum.
Members of Congress share responsibility for setting federal education policy, including postsecondary education, an experience that nearly all lawmakers have in common — 519 of 538 sitting Senators, Representatives and non-voting delegates have an undergraduate degree. The collegiate backgrounds of Congress, however, look very different from the typical American educational experience.
While almost the entire legislative body has at least a bachelor’s degree, only 21 percent of the country as a whole does. Graduate and doctoral degrees are also more common in Congress than they are across the rest of the country. Senators, in particular, are likelierto have attended private college and universities, compared with most Americans and members in the House.
Massachusetts and the District of Columbia: Most popular college destinations
Congress members’ alma maters span from the University of Guam to the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Massachusetts and California undergraduate schools yielded the most degrees, 39 and 59 total, respectively.
Each of these states is a leader for separate reasons. Massachusetts was the most popular out-of-state college choice — 34 members who attended college in Massachusetts came from other states, while38 California members stayed close to home and attended college within the Golden State.
Top Congressional alma maters
* Includes Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who has a degree from the Harvard Extension School
** Not a system, but grouped based on historical association
*** Includes West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy.
Harvard 18*
15
12
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
Stanford
Georgetown
Princeton
Univ. of Wisc.-Madison
Brigham Young Univ.
Dartmouth
West Point
UC-Berkeley
UCLA
Univ. of Missouri
Yale
Most popular college systems
46**
18
13
12
10***
9
8
8
8
7
Ivy League
Univ. of Calif.System
Cal State System
Univ. Systemof Florida
U.S. ServiceAcademies
UNC System
Univ. of Mo.System
Univ. Systemof Georgia
Univ. Systemof Ohio
Univ. of Wisc.System
SD4
FL18
WY
NM3
ID2
MT2
ND2
NE3
KS6
OK6 AR
5
LA5
MS9
AL9
TN 14
KY5
WV1
IN11
IL18
WI10
MI15
OH16
VA17
NC16
SC10
PA16
NY32
ME3
GA13
AK1
UT10
OR5
NV4
CO7
AZ5
HI3
MN7
IA7
MO10
TX27
CA59
WA6
Congressional alma maters by state
12 CT
25 DC
0 DE
39 MA
3 VT
11 MD
2 Puerto Rico
2 Guam
6 NH
17 NJ
4 RI
This map shows all undergraduate and associate degrees earned by members of the House and Senate; some members have more than one undergraduate degree or have both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree.
PERCENTAGE WITH DEGREES
TOTAL DEGREES
Harvard, Ivy League, University of California system lead most popular institutions
Types of college degrees held by Congress compared with U.S. population
Master’s
37%29%
9%
Doctoral
6% 3%
Bachelor’s
98%
21%
96%
Professional
47%
33%
2%8%
LEGAL MEDICAL
The U.S. Census Bureau defines professional degrees as those beyond bachelor’s degrees, including law, medical, dental and similar degrees.
Nearly all representatives and senators have an undergraduate degree, compared with only21 percent of all Americans 25 yearsor older. Trends for medical and doctoral degrees track slightly closer to the national rate, while lawyersare significantly overrepresented.
With the exception of medical degrees, Democrats are likelierto have degrees at all levels compared with Republicans.
Popular out-of-state
MA
DC
NY
CA
VA
34
25
18
15
13
Popular in-state
CA
TX
NY
FL
NC, MI, OH, PA 10
38
22
14
12
Where Congress earned their undergraduate degreesRepresentatives, Republicans likelierto have attended public universities
PUBLIC
PRIVATE COLLEGEOR UNIVERSITY
MILITARY SCHOOLS
Sources: U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau, POLITICO Pro Congressional Directory, Roll Call
Public institutions account for a higher total of degrees awarded across the entire U.S. population — about 64 percent of undergraduate degrees awarded in 2015 were from public colleges and universities.
This trend holds true for House members, where 57 percent of all undergraduate degrees earned by Representatives were from public institutions. However, Senators were likelier to have attended private colleges and universities — 52 percentof their undergraduate degrees werefrom private schools.
Republicans Democrats
35%
63%
3%
51%
49%
1%
U.S.2015
36%
64%
Housemembers
41%
57%
1%
Senators
52%
45%
3%
Americans 25 or older
1.5% 1.9%
DEM GOP
287
255
115
82
132
84
5
19
17
7
DEM
GOP
1None 5 10 20+
Note: Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) caucus with the Democrats and are included in the party’s count.
The total number of bachelor’s degrees exceed the total number of lawmakers because some hold more than one degree.
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