Hindus are the most highly educated religious group in the United States, with seven in ten holding at least a bachelor’s degree, according to a new study by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre.
The findings, drawn from the 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS), place Jews second, with 65per cent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. By comparison, only 35per cent of all US adults have attained a university degree, underscoring the significant gap between certain faith communities and the national average.
Hindus and Jews Top Education Rankings
The survey, described by Pew as one of the most comprehensive examinations of religion and public life in the US, analysed responses from 36,908 adults. Fieldwork was conducted between July 17, 2023 and March 4, 2024, with the report released on February 19, 2026.
Beyond Hindus and Jews, several other religious groups also recorded above-average levels of higher education. Muslims, Buddhists and Orthodox Christians each reported that more than four in 10 adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Mainline Protestant Christians were also found to exceed the national benchmark.
In contrast, the proportion of college graduates among Evangelical Protestants, Catholics and members of historically Black Protestant churches fell below the overall US average, the study noted.
Small Communities, Strong Academic Profile
Despite their strong educational outcomes, Hindus, Muslims and Jews represent relatively small segments of the American population. As of 2024 estimates, Jews account for roughly 2 per cent of the population, Muslims between 1per cent and 1.3 per cent, and Hindus between 0.5 per cent and 1per cent. Around 70 per cent of Americans identify as Christian, while a growing share describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated.
The report suggests that immigration and demographic trends help explain the higher levels of educational attainment in some minority faith communities. Many Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, it said, migrated to the United States through higher-education channels or skilled-worker visa programmes, pathways that often require advanced qualifications.
While these groups are expanding, they remain small compared with the Christian majority. Yet their academic profile stands out, reflecting how migration patterns and professional mobility continue to shape the religious and educational landscape of the United States.
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