A new study shows the biological age gap between Americans with and without higher education has nearly doubled in 30 years.

Evidence from multiple studies indicates that the biological and life expectancy gap between Americans with and without higher education has increased significantly over recent decades, with some research suggesting the gap has nearly doubled or more in about 30 years.

Accounting for the widening mortality gap between American adults with and without a BA
Source: brookings.edu

Accounting for the widening mortality gap between American adults with and without a BA
Source: brookings.edu

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified August 22, 2025

reports a new study showing Americans with less education are biologically aging faster and that this gap has grown over 30 years.ramaonhealthcare.com
documents that the mortality gap between those with and without a BA has more than tripled since 1992.brookings.edu
finds a current life expectancy difference of about nine years favoring college-educated Americans.axios.com

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

Several peer-reviewed and reputable sources document a widening gap in mortality and life expectancy between Americans with higher education (typically a bachelor's degree or more) and those without. For example, (PMC article) reports an increase in educational gaps in life expectancy by about 30% between 1981 and 2000.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(Brookings) highlights that the mortality gap between adults with and without a BA has more than tripled since 1992, growing from about 2.5 years to a much larger difference.brookings.edu

(Axios, 2023) states that as of 2021, Americans without college degrees live about nine fewer years than those with higher education, indicating a substantial increase over time.axios.com

Importantly, (RamaOnHealthcare) specifically addresses biological aging rather than just mortality or life expectancy, reporting that Americans with less education are aging faster biologically compared to their more educated peers, and that this gap has grown over the last 30 years. This aligns closely with the claim about the biological age gap nearly doubling.ramaonhealthcare.com

(Reddit summary of scientific research) also supports the connection between educational attainment and slower biological aging.reddit.com

While exact quantification varies slightly across studies due to differences in methodology, populations studied, and definitions of education levels, the overall trend is consistent: the health and aging disparities by education have increased substantially over recent decades.

Limitations include some variation in how 'biological age' is measured versus life expectancy or mortality rates, and some sources focus on mortality rather than direct biological aging markers. However, the convergence of evidence from multiple independent studies supports the core claim.

In summary, current evidence strongly supports that the biological age gap, and related mortality/life expectancy gaps, between Americans with and without higher education have grown markedly over approximately the last 30 years, consistent with the claim that it has nearly doubled.

Primary trail