Educational Attainment Among Latter-day Saints, Ex-Mormons, and the US Population (Pew RLS 2007–2024)

Abstract

This visualization by Mormon Metrics (@mormon_metrics) tracks the share of college graduates (bachelor's degree or higher) among Latter-day Saints, ex-Mormons, and the general US population across three waves of the Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study (2007, 2014, 2024). All three groups gained college attainment over this period. Latter-day Saints hold a consistent edge over the general US population, and both groups exceed ex-Mormons, though all three are converging. Shaded bands represent 95% confidence intervals, wider for the smaller ex-Mormon subsample.

Findings for Latter-day Saints

• In 2024, 36.2% of Latter-day Saints hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 34.6% of the general US population and 28.0% of ex-Mormons.
• Latter-day Saints outpaced the general US population in college attainment in all three survey years: ~28% vs. ~26% (2007), ~34.5% vs. ~26.5% (2014), 36.2% vs. 34.6% (2024).
• Ex-Mormon college attainment rose from ~21% in 2007 to 28.0% in 2024 — the steepest proportional gain of the three groups.
• The general US population showed the fastest absolute growth, roughly doubling its college share from ~26% (2007) to 34.6% (2024).
• Confidence intervals for ex-Mormons are notably wider than for Latter-day Saints or the general US population, reflecting the smaller ex-Mormon subsample in Pew RLS.
• All three groups tracked the national trend of rising educational attainment, but Latter-day Saints have maintained their relative advantage across all three survey waves.

Limitations in methodology

Secondary analysis visualization; exact values for 2007 and 2014 data points are read from the chart and may differ slightly from Pew tabular data. Cross-sectional survey waves rather than a true longitudinal panel — individual-level educational change cannot be inferred. The ex-Mormon subsample is small enough to produce wide confidence intervals. Chart attribution to @mormon_metrics; methodology details for the specific weighting approach are not published alongside the chart.

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Cite this study

Metrics, M. (2024). Educational Attainment Among Latter-day Saints, Ex-Mormons, and the US Population (Pew RLS 2007–2024). Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Studies. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/

Mormon Metrics. "Educational Attainment Among Latter-day Saints, Ex-Mormons, and the US Population (Pew RLS 2007–2024)." Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Studies, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/.

@article{pew_rls_educational_attainment_mormons_ex_mormons_2024,
  title = {Educational Attainment Among Latter-day Saints, Ex-Mormons, and the US Population (Pew RLS 2007–2024)},
  author = {Mormon Metrics},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Studies},
  url = {https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/},
}