I was over 30 when I got my master’s, so the fair analysis would be what percent of 60-64 year olds had their master’s before age 30 vs. the percentage of 30-34 year olds with a master’s.  My father-in-law was over 30 before he got his bachelor’s.  Two of our four children have their master’s, and they were both very close to 30 when they accomplished that.

Charles, with respect, I would argue that the precise comparability of the data between the 30-34 age cohort and the 60-64 one (of which I am a proud, if inadvertent member) is less important than the practical implication:  if US and global industry cannot find the graduate degreed workforce it seeks in the US,  the search will expand to bringing foreign workers in to the US or outsourcing the work to those nations where the workforce has those qualifications.  For myself, paying as I am for my son’s university education, the issue is closely intertwined with the relentless inflation in the costs of university degrees.  Surely the out of control costs of these degrees has something to do with the declining numbers of Americans who can pursue them.

Jim,  of course the US industry will outsource from the rest of the world.  Offshore wages and salaries are less than US.  I may not be using the exact words that Henry Ford used but he was quoted as saying that his cars would someday be made by machines making the human auto worker obsolete.  Walter Ruether who was at Henry’s elbow spoke up and made the point of saying to him”...but Henry, who is going to buy them??”