Educational Attainment

Definition

Percent of population with a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Significance

This metric indicates whether the county is creating, retaining, and attracting the talent necessary to drive economic growth and remain competitive in the national and global marketplace.

Trends

32% of the population that is 25 or older has a Bachelor’s degree or higher.  Ventura County Ranks 18th Highest out of 58 California Counties for educational attainment of a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.
Human capital in the modern era contains the most value when competitive, meaning that skills are congruent with the needs of high-impact industry sectors and occupations, those with high export and GDP value.  Management, engineering, and IT/Computer Science fields are heavy contributors to Ventura’s regional economy in the 21st century.  Trade-level skills such as electrical technicians, machinists, and construction workers also play a meaningful role in the Ventura economy, supporting the creation of export products and sustainable development in the near term.  Expansion of training relating to entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset is additionally essential to the regional economy in Ventura.  A strategic focus on investment in the aforementioned fields of study will assist in building a resilient and competitive economy in the county, and support the growth of economic opportunity for community members across all economic strata.
Although the county is ranked 18th for educational attainment, this ranking is reflective of a high degree of immigrant population in the Agricultural Industry Sector.  This population traditionally does not enter the county with post-secondary education.  Connectivity between this population and services through Adult Education would create a path to literacy and high school completion that would benefit the community and impact Ventura’s ranking in this indicator.
The table below displays the educational attainment in Ventura County in 2015 and 2020 as compared with the state educational attainment rate in 2020.