Education

Educational Attainment Higher Among Males and Younger Seniors

In 2006, the majority of seniors (59.5%) had attained some kind of certificate, diploma or degree. More than one third of seniors (39.1%) had qualifications beyond high school (see chart 15).

Chart 15
Majority of Alberta Seniors Have High School Education or Higher

Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census Custom Tabulations

Educational outcome varied by gender. For instance, 62.6% of male seniors had completed high school or beyond compared to 57.0% of female seniors. Male seniors were almost three times more likely to have trade credentials than females (19.0% versus 6.9%). Males were more likely to have completed a bachelor degree or higher with 13.3% of males having university qualifications, compared to 7.1% of females. However, females were more likely to have a college certificate or diploma.

In general, the levels of educational attainment were lowest among seniors aged 90 and older and highest among younger seniors. Seniors aged 65 to 69 were almost twice as likely to have university credentials compared to those 90 years and older (12.6% versus 6.7%).

The level of educational attainment among Alberta seniors is increasing. For instance, in 1976, more than half (56.4%) of seniors had less than a grade nine education and only 2.3% had a university degree or higher. By 2006, the proportion of seniors who had earned a university degree had increased to almost one in 10 (9.9%).