Community Assessment - Health & Quality of Life in San Mateo
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evaluations of adult education

The following findings relate to adults and education in the area:

• San Mateo County is a highly educated community. Over three-fourths (77%) of county survey participants report having some education beyond high school with 31.3% having Bachelor’s degrees and 14.5% holding postgraduate degrees. ²⁶⁴
• A total of 45.1% of San Mateo County survey respondents state the adult educational opportunities in their community are "excellent" or "very good." By contrast, 12.8% rate the adult educational opportunities in their community as "fair" or "poor." "Fair/poor" evaluations of adult educational opportunities are highest among African-American respondents (21.8%), low-income persons (19.1%) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (18.6%). ²⁶⁵

• San Mateo County respondents further give a 42.8% "excellent/very good" rating when evaluating how well local higher education prepares students in their fields of training, while 16.2% gave "fair" or "poor" evaluations.²⁶⁶

utilization of public libraries

• A total of 72.1% of San Mateo County survey participants have used a local public library at least once in the past year, similar to statewide findings. This percentage rises to 79.7% among households with children, but drops to 55.9% of those living at or below 185% poverty.²⁶⁷

• Public library funding and circulation in the county are higher than the state average; furthermore, library hours have increased for the first time in four years. ²⁶⁸

computer usage

• Seven out of 10 San Mateo County respondents (68.7%) currently have a computer at home, significantly higher than the 59.4% found throughout California. Computer ownership is lowest among those living below the 185% poverty threshold (37.4%) and individuals aged 65 or older (43.7%).²⁶⁹

• Nearly two-thirds (63.1%) of San Mateo County respondents are "on line," having access to the Internet for personal use, either at work, home, or school. This is significantly higher than the 56% found throughout the state. ²⁷⁰

270  Ibid.

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