Quick Facts

• 22% of the adults living in the Moraine Valley Community College district, 18 years or older, do not have a high school education. 
• In Cook County, there are 662,230 residents, 18 years and older, with less than 8 years of education. 
• Illinois ranks a poor 34th in the literacy rate among the 50 states. 
• 20% of American adults can't make informed decisions because they can't read. 

• A staggering total of nearly 25 million Americans (1 in 5 adults) lack the reading and writing abilities needed to handle the demands of daily living.

• An illiterate adult earns 42% less than a high school graduate. 

• 50%-70% of the unemployed are in need of functional literacy skills.

• 85% of the juvenile offenders, 50% of the prison population, and 30% of welfare mothers are in need of functional literacy skills. 
• The United States ranks 49th in literacy rates among all United Nations countries.
• Illiteracy costs the economy $225 billion annually in lost revenues, taxes, and decreased industrial productivity.
• 27% of army enlistees can't read training manuals written at the 7th grade level.
• Estimates show there are approximately two million people in Illinois who cannot read above a 5th grade level. 
• Only 10% of the nation's population uses the local library. 
• 5% of the population reads consistently. 
• 39% of the population never reads. 
• The number-one magazine in sales and readership is the TV Guide. 
• The number-one newspaper in sales and readership is the National Enquirer.