GED
- STATISTICS AND
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE GED TESTS
The following information comes from
the GED Testing Service, a program of the American
Council on Education.
The General Educational Development (GED) Testing
Service develops and distributes the GED Tests.
In 2002, more than 510,000 people completed the
GED Test battery.
GED graduates include Bill Cosby, Wendy's founder
Dave Thomas, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner,
Michael J. Fox, and U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse
Campbell.
More than 95 percent of employers in the U.S. consider
GED graduates the same as traditional high school
graduates in regard to hiring, salary, and opportunity
for advancement.
In 2002, 603,019 people took the GED Tests. Of that
number, 510,451 completed the five tests in the
GED battery. Of those who completed, about 71 percent
(360,444) earned the scores needed for a GED high
school equivalency credential. An estimated 15.8
million adults have passed the GED and earned high
school credentials since 1949.
In New Hampshire, 1,251 people passed the GED test
in 2002. 82.7 percent of people who completed the
test battery passed and earned the New Hampshire
High School Equivalency Certificate. 66.7 percent
of the New Hampshire test-takers said they plan
to continue their education. 55.3 percent cited
employment as one of their reasons for taking the
GED.
The average GED test-taker in 2002 was 25.2 years
old. About 72 percent of test-takers reported having
completed tenth grade or higher before leaving school.
More than 44 percent completed eleventh grade or
higher before leaving high school.
Roughly two-thirds of 2002 GED test-takers say they
plan to enroll in postsecondary education and training.
This percentage has risen steadily over the
years—from 35 percent in 1949, to 54 percent
in 1989, to 64 percent today. This trend reflects
the shift to an information-based economy that requires
more education and training for entry-level jobs.
