Internet use by education
% of U.S. adults who use the internet, by education level
| Year | Less than high school graduate | High school graduate | High school or less | Some college | College graduate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19% | 40% | 67% | 78% | |
| 2001 | 21% | 43% | 68% | 81% | |
| 2002 | 24% | 48% | 73% | 83% | |
| 2003 | 25% | 51% | 75% | 85% | |
| 2004 | 27% | 53% | 76% | 86% | |
| 2005 | 32% | 58% | 80% | 89% | |
| 2006 | 37% | 61% | 83% | 91% | |
| 2007 | 40% | 65% | 85% | 92% | |
| 2008 | 38% | 65% | 86% | 93% | |
| 2009 | 40% | 68% | 87% | 94% | |
| 2010 | 41% | 68% | 87% | 93% | |
| 2011 | 43% | 72% | 89% | 94% | |
| 2012 | 52% | 75% | 91% | 96% | |
| 2013 | 54% | 75% | 92% | 96% | |
| 2014 | 55% | 76% | 91% | 96% | |
| 2015 | 62% | 78% | 92% | 96% | |
| 2016 | 68% | 81% | 94% | 98% | |
| 2018 | 65% | 84% | 93% | 97% | |
| 2019 | 71% | 84% | 95% | 98% | |
| 2021 | 86% | 97% | 98% | ||
| 2023 | 90% | 98% | 99% |
Note: The vertical line indicates a change in mode. Polls from 2000-2021 were conducted via phone. In 2023, the poll was conducted via web and mail. For more details on this shift, please read our Q&A. The Center has used several different question wordings to identify broadband users in recent years, which may account for some variance in broadband adoption figures between 2015 and 2018. Our survey conducted in July 2015 used a directly comparable question wording to the one conducted in January 2018. Refer to the topline for more information on how question wording varied over the years. “High school or less” includes both “Less than high school graduate” and “High school graduate.” The 2021 and 2023 samples are too small to separate these two categories. Respondents who did not give an answer or gave other responses are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2000-2023. Data for each year is based on a pooled analysis of all surveys conducted during that year.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
