Educational attainment is usually described as an ideal status. a stratified characteristic. an achieved characteristic. an ascribed status.

Educational attainment is best described as **an achieved characteristic**. **Explanation:** - **Achieved Characteristic:** This refers to traits or statuses that individuals earn or choose based on their actions, efforts, and abilities. Educational attainment fits this category because it results from personal effort, such as attending school, studying, and completing degrees. - **Stratified Characteristic:** While educational attainment does play a role in social stratification by influencing one's socioeconomic status, the primary classification is that it is an achieved characteristic. - **Ideal Status:** This represents what individuals aspire to, which may or may not relate directly to their actual educational attainment. - **Ascribed Status:** These are statuses assigned at birth or involuntarily later in life, such as race or family heritage, which are not influenced by personal effort. **Correct Answer:** **an achieved characteristic.**