Beginning in 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau revised the educational attainment question used in the American Community Survey (ACS) based on results from the 2022 ACS Content Test. Prior to 2025, there were three response categories that comprised educational attainment less than grade 1: “No schooling completed,” “Nursery or preschool,” and “Kindergarten.” These three categories have been replaced with one category: “Less than grade 1.”

Cognitive testing indicated that the previous version of the response categories inflated the number of respondents selecting “No schooling completed.” This increased the overall percentage of respondents with educational attainment of less than first grade. The estimates for the single revised category “Less than grade 1” now align more closely with other benchmark measures compared to the previous version which used three categories to collect data for less than first grade.

As a result of these changes, the published educational attainment tables were updated. Prior to 2025, the estimates for each of the “No schooling completed,” “Nursery or preschool,” and “Kindergarten” categories were reported in tables B15002 and B15003. Following the changes to the educational attainment question, these categories were combined into a single “Less than grade 1” category in these tables. To compare 2025 ACS data in these tables to prior years, data users can sum the three categories to reflect how data were collected in 2025.

Users also should note the changes to table C15003. Prior to 2025, table C15003 reported totals for respondents with “No schooling completed” independently but included those with “Nursery or preschool” and “Kindergarten” in the “Nursery to 4^th Grade” category. For 2025, the lowest category is “Less than grade 1,” followed by “1^st to 4^th grade.” Given the difference in these categories, direct comparisons to prior year data is not recommended.

For more information, visit: Understanding 2025 American Community Survey Content Changes.