Survey: Nigerians Most Educated in the U.S.

Analysis of U.S. Census data and other surveys show Nigerian immigrants and their descendants score highest when it comes to earning degrees.
By Naeesa Aziz
Posted: 03/20/2012 11:02 AM EDT
Filed Under college, Africa, immigration, National News, Nigeria, education

USA education, college, Nigerian immigrants, most educated in the United States

Nigerian Americans have long been known for their community’s intense cultural emphasis on education, and now an analysis of Census data coupled with several local surveys shows that Nigerians don't just value education, but surpass all other U.S. ethnic groups when it comes to obtaining degrees.



"Being Black, you are already at a disadvantage," Oluyinka Olutoye, an associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Houston Chronicle. "You really need to excel far above if you want to be considered for anything in this country."



According to 2006 census data, 37 percent of Nigerians in the U.S. had bachelor's degrees, 17 percent held master's degrees and 4 percent had doctorates. In contrast, the same census data showed only 19 percent of white Americans had bachelor’s degrees, 8 percent held master’s degrees and only 1 percent held doctorates, the paper reports.



The census data was bolstered by an independent analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University and commissioned by the Chronicle.



"These are higher levels of educational attainment than were found in any other...community," Stephen Klineberg, a sociologist at Rice University who conducts the annual Houston Area Survey, told the paper.



However, despite the strides in education made by many African immigrants, including Nigerian-Americans, discrimination still colors their prospects for employment. A study of 2010 employment data by the Economic Policy Institute showed that, across nationalities and ethnic groups, Black immigrants carried the highest unemployment rate of all foreign-born workers.



In addition to cultural expectations about obtaining higher education, the paper reports that many African immigrants are more likely to pursue higher education as a means of maintaining their immigrant status in the U.S.



"In a way, it's a Catch-22 — because of immigration laws you are forced to remain in school, but then the funny thing is you end up getting your doctorate at the age of 29," Amadu Jacky Kaba, an associate professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, told the paper. "If you stay in school, immigration will leave you alone."




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I agree!
I am one of them!

Who say 'ashawo' nor be work?

Mu he he he he he he

Callotti: I agree!
I am one of them!

Who say 'ashawo' nor be work?

Mu he he he he he he

When will I see those tits?

This brought a smile to my face, because I am included in this survey.

We are the true "Model Minority" in the United States, but we never get credit. Asian Americans are always considered the "Model Minority," but Nigerian Americans are consistently achieving degrees at a higher rate than any other group in the United States.

I think race may play a role, because the media always want to portray black people as not valuing education.

Its a known fact even long before the media started calling Asia "model minority." The whole of African immigrants put together still perform better than Asians yet they wont say it in the media. I even read where one Asian wrote that the reason is African immigrants are upper class Africans - you see how they now twist it? Anyway, I hope the trend continues.

Does any data exist to compare for Asians, Africans, Caucasians, Native, etc? This will be a good reference point. I believe the major reason why Nigeria does not get the right credit it deserves is the totally useless, generational bad leadership, poor followership leading to a poor image in the international community. Imagine if Nigeria actually is "working" well and progressing as a country? Imagine we're minting bright Ph. Ds, Masters, Bachelors, Professors, nobel laureates, technologists and technicians, competent administrators who are coming together to form a critical mass inventing things in Nigeria, building the infrastructure, expanding international trade, creating rival educational systems to the best in the world, excellent healthcare, a growing and strong military, an effective forward-looking foreign policy, technology, expansive, mechanized agriculture and also given birth to many smart kids to take over, we will be getting a lot more credit.

You are sortof late dude.
This made wave like 4 years ago; people been known this.

Old news, but I'm not surprised to see that some ignoramuses think that these Africans are "upper class" Africans. Not that that even makes any sense as a counter argument to try to hand wave away this trend, because what might be "upper class" in one place may be middle class in another. I don't know any Africans here whose parents are diplomats, millionaires, big business moguls, or any other form of modern "landed gentry" but they still compete at the highest levels academically.


Of course, holding the statistic of being the most educated in the U.S. does nothing for Nigeria as a country.

I mentioned this on one thread and I think queensmith or cfour disputed it

I would like to knw how we stack against Indians though

Eh...I think we are upper class Africans, to some extent. It isn't the children of random bumpkins from Africa/Nigeria who are achieving this things.

Most of the high-achieving Nigerians I know around my age, their parents went to Ife/Ibadan/some school in the UK, parents were pretty well-educated, etc.

Granted, the same might be true of Indian and Chinese immigrants. But I'd have to see data to know for sure.

It isn't hard to dominate America if you select from essentially the top 0.1% of Africa or something..

In fact the random bumpkin Africans I know aren't too distinguishable from akata...don't go to college, baby mammas all over the place, etc.

A beg make we hear word. Na only book we sabi, after PhD we go end up in another man's company whereas Asians are creating business empires in North America.
Which one is more important? Employer or employee?

Basically what is happening is that a large fraction of the best talent Africa has is being drained away to America.

Contrast this with India or China, which still has craploads of its best folk still in the country.

Indian/Chinese kids I know, a much larger fraction of them come here to get education but either return or plan on returning.

Naija man leaves Nigeria, he is only coming back for vacations...ain't ever coming back

Obiagu1: A beg make we hear word. Na only book we sabi, after PhD we go end up in another man's company whereas Asians are creating business empires in North America.
Which one is more important? Employer or employee?

Can you name one of these Asian business empires in North America? From what I see across the economic landscape of the United States, they are more likely to work for a firm than be their own boss. Plus, there seems to be a "Bamboo" ceiling for Asians. In the book "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians," the author wrote:

“Even in Silicon Valley, where Asian Americans represent 30 percent of technology professionals, only around 12 percent of managerial positions are held by Asian Americans compared with 80 percent held by Caucasians.”

ekt bear,

I think you have to define "upper class". I think most Nigerians I meet in America would be upper middle class or middle class in Nigeria, but not necessarily very rich (financial elite) or from the most educated families in their respective towns or cities in Nigeria (intellectual elite).

Wasn't there one poster on here (bawomolo) who was going for his master's in mechanical engineering at a highly regarded private university before he was killed, and his father was a taxi driver? Not saying he would be representative of most Nigerians in America or anything, but I guess my point is among certain groups of Africans (Ghanaians, Nigerians, Cameroonians, possibly Kenyans), but not necessarily all others, the economic/educational background of the family is probably not really the deciding factor.

I don't think the "intellectual elite" of Nigeria have really been transplanted to America and the UK or anything.


Last time I was in Nigeria I visited several relatives and family friends, and two families are particularly relevant to this issue. For one family, the father was a doctor who had practiced for a long time abroad and the oldest son had also gone into medicine, and the son had attended one the best universities in the country, just as the father had in his time, and as I conversed with the son over the course of the visit it became apparent that the guy was highly intelligent (which is what one would expect in a good doctor, of course, so there's nothing extraordinary about that in and of itself). The family was pretty rich, had several cars, a huge house (a mansion, really) in a gated compound in the GRA area and these are the ones I would consider the financial elite and among the most educated in their community.

However, a few days later we visited another family that our family knows. Their house is a small regular sized one story house, more like a large apartment in the U.S. really in terms of interior space, and not even up to a fourth of the size of our own family's house. The father in the family may not have been college educated or he may have studied some "useless" subject in college (I wasn't rude enough to ask my parents if the reason they lived in a house even smaller than some of the ordinary houses I'd seen was because of this), but what did come through in the course of conversation is that the oldest son is a doctor and that the second son is an engineer who was trying to go to abroad to further his education. This family wasn't the intellectual or financial elite of their immediate community, city or state but there was no significant difference in terms of educational attainment/achievement between the educated sons of this family and the educated son of the richer family I mentioned above, as far as I could tell.


I think you have the impression that most Nigerians in America are from a situation like that of the first family mentioned above where the patriarch of the family is some highly educated chap who got a medical degree or doctorate in the 70s or 80s, but I don't think that's really the case for the majority. Many could have very financially or educationally regular (rather than extraordinary) parents but high achieving children. I wouldn't be surprised if most Nigerians in America were either like the second family I mentioned or somewhere in between the first and second family.

We already knew this information in our community, but I think many of you are not recognizing the elephant in the room.

Why are Nigerian Americans not given the credit of being one of the most highly educated minority groups in the United States? I still believe race plays a role, and if the media would focus on this, that would go against their narrative. I

I know the Nigerian community in the area that I live in the United States value education. A 2nd generation Nigerian American who does not at least attain their bachelor's degree is often ridiculed by the wider community. It is this community pressure that makes many of us strive to get the highest degrees possible.

Whenever I got to an event, you always hear Nigerians parents, bragging about what their children are doing. It gets comical at times, when you hear the recurring themes like my son or daughter is studying pharmacy, medicine, law etc.

@ ekt bear, I googled around a bit and while it seems true that India is reversing its brain drain to some extent, China is not. But with China's population, they'll always have loads of smart professionals in their country regardless. Not the ideal amount probably, but probably a large enough group to drive their country forward.

Old news.

Not that great news. Bad rep.

Most educated Nigerians in US, Iraq, Afghanstan and Rwanda. Why must we always look outside to make ourselves feel better.

Of course this is old news, because a Houston newspaper once wrote an article about this.

However, the major media outlets have yet to mention the success of Nigerian Americans in the United State. I do not know about many of you, but sometimes I get tired of hearing how Asians are the "Model minority," and Nigerian Americans such as myself are not given credit. The same story about black people in the media needs to change. Do you know the misconceptions about black groups in the United States could change if the media shines light on the achievement of this African community.

afam4eva: Most educated Nigerians in US, Iraq, Afghanstan and Rwanda. Why must we always look outside to make ourselves feel better.

This is simply about an immigrant community in the United States. Nigerians are thriving in the United States and that should be celebrated. Do you want to constantly hear bad news about Nigerians?

The recent census in the United States is providing more support that Nigerian Americans are the most educated group in the United States.

CyberG: Does any data exist to compare for Asians, Africans, Caucasians, Native, etc? This will be a good reference point. I believe the major reason why Nigeria does not get the right credit it deserves is the totally useless, generational bad leadership, poor followership leading to a poor image in the international community. Imagine if Nigeria actually is "working" well and progressing as a country? Imagine we're minting bright Ph. Ds, Masters, Bachelors, Professors, nobel laureates, technologists and technicians, competent administrators who are coming together to form a critical mass inventing things in Nigeria, building the infrastructure, expanding international trade, creating rival educational systems to the best in the world, excellent healthcare, a growing and strong military, an effective forward-looking foreign policy, technology, expansive, mechanized agriculture and also given birth to many smart kids to take over, we will be getting a lot more credit.

You are really a Cyberfool as your handle rightfully suggested. If not, why would you decimate Internet Bandwidth on expired news?

ekt_bear: Basically what is happening is that a large fraction of the best talent Africa has is being drained away to America.

Contrast this with India or China, which still has craploads of its best folk still in the country.

Indian/Chinese kids I know, a much larger fraction of them come here to get education but either return or plan on returning.

Naija man leaves Nigeria, he is only coming back for vacations...ain't ever coming back

You do not need to excoriate Nigerians who have abdicated their initial commitment to return to what is generally considered a cesspit for country such as Nigeria after they have acquired academic laurels in USA.

Dede1:


You do not need to excoriate Nigerians who have abdicated their initial commitment to return to what is generally considered a cesspit for country such as Nigeria after they have acquired academic laurels in USA.

Well I'm not blaming anyone for leaving for greener pastures. But the issue is that it sucks for the country they've left behind. It is a case of the rich (the USA) getting richer and the poor (countries like Nigeria) getting poorer.

A lot of these talented folk immigrating to the US, I'd love to "kidnap" them and move them to my own homeland, if this were possible.

PhysicsQED: ekt bear,

I think you have to define "upper class". I think most Nigerians I meet in America would be upper middle class or middle class in Nigeria, but not necessarily very rich (financial elite) or from the most educated families in their respective towns or cities in Nigeria (intellectual elite).

I define upper class not necessarily purely by money (since I'm not even sure that if your family got rich off of say cocoa farming in the 40s and 50s that this necessarily implies that your family will still be wealthy today.)

For me, if you are a Nigerian-American and your parents went to some of the best schools in Nigeria (or abroad) at that time, then I classify you as from the "upper class." Even if said parents emigrated to the US and then wash dead bodies or something. Obviously, the raw talent is there, regardless of your parent's current occupation...they scaled heights in their native country that very few were able to reach.

Wasn't there one poster on here (bawomolo) who was going for his master's in mechanical engineering at a highly regarded private university before he was killed, and his father was a taxi driver?

Did you listen to one of the interviews they had of bawomolo's father? Excellent English, minimal accent. Dollars to donuts that his father went to somewhere solid in Nigeria for college.

That his father decided to drive cabs to sustain his family doesn't mean that his father was a bum in Nigeria..

Not saying he would be representative of most Nigerians in America or anything, but I guess my point is among certain groups of Africans (Ghanaians, Nigerians, Cameroonians, possibly Kenyans), but not necessarily all others, the economic/educational background of the family is probably not really the deciding factor.

Highly, highly, highly disagree. I never meet the children of random illiterate African villagers at any of these good schools.

I don't think the "intellectual elite" of Nigeria have really been transplanted to America and the UK or anything.

Yeah I disagree. A large fraction of these high-achieving Nigerians are effectively transplants, or the children of transplants.

I think you have the impression that most Nigerians in America are from a situation like that of the first family mentioned above where the patriarch of the family is some highly educated chap who got a medical degree or doctorate in the 70s or 80s, but I don't think that's really the case for the majority. Many could have very financially or educationally regular (rather than extraordinary) parents but high achieving children. I wouldn't be surprised if most Nigerians in America were either like the second family I mentioned or somewhere in between the first and second family.

Like I said, I don't think the money aspect is the determining factor. In a Nigerian setting with massive inflation, etc, etc...well, how many of the richest families from the 40s and 50s are amongst the richest today?

Also, how are you defining "educationally regular", in a Nigerian context?

I don't even know the names of the ordinary schools in Nigeria say in the 70s. But if you got into one of the best ones an entire country has, then in my opinion you are well above average. Or at least, probably are..

Dede1:

You are really a Cyberfool as your handle rightfully suggested. If not, why would you decimate Internet Bandwidth on expired news?

This piece of shaite Odedee1 must think it is welcome among cadavers, maggot eaten dead animals talk less of humans! What a biiiigggg fat sore old loser since before 1967 and yet it still remains a core loser! Why has it (dede1) not been buried alive? Well, the time is nigh for your old wide flat nosed obdurate head to be used to carry sacrifices to amadioha you hateful soul.

FYI, it makes it (dedeaccursed) mad to know I am right at the top of the group mentioned. Multiple degrees, inventions, publications that will be googled till eternity and how old am I?

It also pains it that I just painted the imperfect but great country of Nigeria so glowingly, no part of Nigeria will want to secede anywhere else and that neighboring countries might actually want to join such a Nigeria. Ha! Dedefool Tribalist is dead and rotten yet Nigeria remains. The East, West, North and every people remains a united country. . .lol. Keel over and die old dedenbula!

Dede1:

You are really a Cyberfool as your handle rightfully suggested. If not, why would you decimate Internet Bandwidth on expired news?

This piece of shaite Odedee1 must think it is welcome among cadavers, maggot eaten dead animals talk less of humans! What a biiiigggg fat sore old loser since before 1967 and yet it still remains a core loser! Why has it (dede1) not been buried alive? Well, the time is nigh for your old wide flat nosed obdurate head to be used to carry sacrifices to amadioha you hateful soul.

FYI, it makes it (dedeaccursed) mad to know I am right at the top of the group mentioned. Multiple degrees, inventions, publications that will be googled till eternity and how old am I?

It also pains it that I just painted the imperfect but great country of Nigeria so glowingly, no part of Nigeria will want to secede anywhere else and that neighboring countries might actually want to join such a Nigeria. Ha! Dedefool Tribalist is dead and rotten yet Nigeria remains. The East, West, North and every people remains a united country. . .lol. Keel over and die old dedenbula!

Wetin concern the agberodende1 with the Internet I pay for? Efulefu. Anuofia. Onye beribe.

Would be nice if they use some of that education to bring Nigeria out of its mess.

Else it's pretty much useless as far as I'm concerned. Getting an "education" is not as hard as people are making it out to be.

Nnenna1: Would be nice if they use some of that education to bring Nigeria out of its mess.

Else it's pretty much useless as far as I'm concerned. Getting an "education" is not as hard as people are making it out to be.

The education and exposure that these people have cannot help much as long as the system does not encourage anything. We have a very bad political, economic ans social system.

Mu che che che che che che.
I am always so happy these days.
God bless Uncle Sam. . .!!!

Nnenna1: Would be nice if they use some of that education to bring Nigeria out of its mess.

Else it's pretty much useless as far as I'm concerned. Getting an "education" is not as hard as people are making it out to be.

Well, not everyone's ambition in life is to save Nigeria. Most people, they are interested in the benefit of their own self and family, not abstract entities/concepts like Nigeria.

So it is pretty damn useful (for both them and the US)...just not necessarily useful to Nigeria.

CyberG:

This piece of shaite Odedee1 must think it is welcome among cadavers, maggot eaten dead animals talk less of humans! What a biiiigggg fat sore old loser since before 1967 and yet it still remains a core loser! Why has it (dede1) not been buried alive? Well, the time is nigh for your old wide flat nosed obdurate head to be used to carry sacrifices to amadioha you hateful soul.

FYI, it makes it (dedeaccursed) mad to know I am right at the top of the group mentioned. Multiple degrees, inventions, publications that will be googled till eternity and how old am I?

It also pains it that I just painted the imperfect but great country of Nigeria so glowingly, no part of Nigeria will want to secede anywhere else and that neighboring countries might actually want to join such a Nigeria. Ha! Dedefool Tribalist is dead and rotten yet Nigeria remains. The East, West, North and every people remains a united country. . .lol. Keel over and die old dedenbula!

Bravo!

Bravo!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrravo!!!

Waiting for part 2 of this HEAVY CUSS!

bittyend:

When will I see those tits?

Why dunyoo ask TB Joshua to help you out?