Social Class: What exactly does "educated" mean? (student loan, insurance, union)

[fatsquirrel]

I keep hearing people throw around the word "educated" to describe people who are rich in some capacity or who are gentrifiers in my area, as opposed to the salt of the earth common people in society.

Does this simply mean one who has a college degree, or does it mean someone who has a college degree from an elite school? I don't consider myself "educated" but I have a degree due to living in a state that has a low cost 4 year college program (not every state has cheap "city" colleges).

[BigCityDreamer]

I have a bachelor of science degree from my state’s flagship university and I certainly consider myself to be “educated.”

[athena53]

I have a 4-year degree from a respected but not elite state university. I consider myself educated since, to me, that term means at least a 4-year college degree. Ivy League or advanced degrees would qualify as "highly educated".

My assessment of people is still based on what they've done with what they had. I remember a guy from my grade school whom I met at a 50-year reunion. He hadn't been a great star in school; I think he was probably average intelligence. He now owned his own plumbing contracting firm and told me he made a point of providing health insurance to his employees. I was impressed and I told him that. On the "highly educated" side, I once interviewed a guy for an actuarial trainee position- Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton. Dullest interview ever; answered mostly in monosyllables. He spoke the English of someone who was born and raised in the US, so it wasn't that he struggled with the language. It was a phone interview and we didn't even bring him in for an in-person interview.

And then there are the dime-a-dozen diploma mills offering on-line or other easy-peasy advanced degrees, especially for teachers who get more pay if they have a Master's. I'm not saying that every Master's in Education is easy to get, but I wouldn't grant it a lot of value without finding more about the program and the institution.

[UntilTheNDofTimE]

While others spent 4-5 years perusing an education and saddling themselves with student loans I worked and saved over 100k while others sat in a classroom. I have a great job with no debt while many are still paying back loans in their 30's with a worse job than mine. I consider myself "educated".

[boxus]

A subjective measurement many like using is educational attainment meaning college degree obtained. However, "educated" technically and really, does not mean just a college education, and it is rather a subjective measure.

For example, Mark Zuckerburg does not have a college degree, he would be classed under "uneducated" under the common objective measure. I would not consider Mark uneducated though. On the flip side, a personal example, one of the least "educated" people I ever known had a college degree from a state university, we worked together in the Navy. He had about zero math skills and his other skills were so bad, it was no surprise he barely squeaked by getting into the Navy on the ASVAB, yet he would be considered "educated" by the common objective measures.

[luv4horses]

It refers to *formally* educated at a four year college. Well educated might mean with an additional advanced degree, that is MS or PhD. It's just shorthand.

[saibot]

I agree that the term "educated" implies at least a four-year degree. I have a BA and MA from the same state university, and I definitely consider myself educated--I don't think the MA added that much to my educational level, frankly. However, I also think it's possible for people to be basically self-educated. Reading widely and having a wide variety of interests and experiences can result in someone's being as knowledgeable as someone with a degree--if not more so.

My husband owns an automotive shop and has a high degree of skill in his field. He makes a great income, but he has almost no formal education past high school, and I would not say he is "educated." Being skilled and intelligent and making a very good living is not the same as being educated. However, I'm more impressed with an "undereducated" person who works hard and has a successful career than an "educated" person who has a piece of paper but does nothing useful.

[turkeydance]

this is what it means to me:
"That's Latin, darlin'. Evidently Mr. Ringo's an educated man. Now I really hate him."

[Jowel]

While it can mean one has formally completed a degree beyond compulsory education requirements, it is also an indication of how one carries themselves.

Do they seem knowledgable on a fairly broad range of topics?
Do they generally use correct grammar, or do they use lots of slang, particularly vulgar slang and expletives as the backbone of their communication?
Do they have an open mind about different cultures, different viewpoints, different foods and arts and entertainment? Even if they don't agree with or enjoy all of this, do they at least seem to grasp that not everyone's background is the same and the way people come to look at different aspects of life is a little different?
Are they well traveled, or if not, do they have an appreciation that not everyone came from the same place, that has the same same rituals and routines as where they come from?
Is most of what they say or write factual and accurate, or do they rely more on gossip and going on rants about topics that they have little to no accurate information on?

Those are a few indications and social cues over and above the credentials that someone can put at the end of their name.

Note to OP: This is a response to your question in the thread title. I can't speak to what is occurring in your specific area.

[Chaofan]

What do you mean by "salt of the earth common people?" Or is that just virtue signaling by implying that educated, professional people are somehow morally inferior?