 "From visas to Valley: Hindus most highly educated religious group in US, finds Pew study")
Hindus and Jews in the United States are more likely to have a four-year college degree than Americans in other religious groups, a new analysis by the Pew Research Centre revealed. The body examined educational attainment across America’s major faith communities and found that Hindus are the most highly educated religious group in the country, followed by Jews.
The findings were part of the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS), which stated that seven-in-ten Hindus (70 per cent) and 65 per cent of Jews have a bachelor’s degree or higher education. This is compared with 35 per cent of the overall American adults. It is pertinent to note that the Washington-based think tank is known for conducting the most comprehensive surveys of religion and public life in the United States.
Other religious groups that recorded above-average levels of higher education include Muslims, Buddhists and Orthodox Christians, each with more than four in 10 adults holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Mainline Protestant Christians were also found to record an above-average figure.
Catholics record a low average
In contrast to this, the share of college graduates among Evangelical Protestants, Catholics and members of historically Black Protestant churches was lower than the national average, the study said.
According to the Pew Research, the overall adult American population has around four in 10 people with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This underscores the wide educational gaps between religious groups.
The report mentioned that immigration and demographic patterns help explain these differences, particularly among Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, many of whom came to the US through higher-education or skilled-worker pathways.
The centre surveyed a total of 36,908 respondents to the Religious Landscape Study of US adults, which was conducted between July 17, 2023 and March 4, 2024.
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View AllIndia’s role & the Brain drain debate
It is pertinent to note that the majority of Hindus in the US are of Indian origin. Hence, this also reflects that Indians are among the most educated in the United States.
The factors that contribute to this figure are that Indians engage in skilled migration to the US. This can also be reflected by the H-1B visa patterns, since Indians are the biggest beneficiaries of the visa. Indians also contribute significantly to the American technology centre.
This reinforces the knowledge migration narrative — Indian diaspora influence in US technology, academia and healthcare continues to grow. This also begs the question: Is the Indian market struggling to retain its talents?
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