Scientists have now identified 74 genes that reveals one's educational attainment and achievement. However, this genetic pre-disposition only affects less than half of one percent in determining one's educational status, as opposed to environmental factors like diet, family, opportunity and others. Combined with other genetic variants in the entire human genome, this only totals to around three percent.

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In this new study, researchers link genetical personal traits like grit and contentiousness along with educational attainment including the level of society an individual belongs to. Researchers believe that every single gene holds measurable impacts.

According to author of the study, Daniel Benjamin from the University of Southern California, the variant with the largest effect is the difference between people with zero copies and two copies, is equal to an average of nine more weeks of schooling.

Past research by the same international team examined and analyzed the genomes of 100,000 people, resulting in just three significant genes for this. For this new study, the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium used three times more that number of genomes leading to richer findings.

These new genetic findings obtained from 300,000 people originate from European descent since most data were taken from individuals living in the United States, Europe and Australia as well.

According to Peter Visscher from the Centre for Neurogenetics and Statistical Genomics under the Queensland Brain Institute, Australia, past studies on twins and other family members have a 20 to 40 percent contribution in the genetic variants on educational attainment in an individual. He adds that if sample sizes reach to millions than thousands, this can fill in most of the gap.

According to co-founder of the consortium, Philipp Koellinger of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, this finding is only the tip of the iceberg.The genetic variants that have been identified in this study are also strongly active in the brain, even during prenatal stages, which are probably triggered during neural development, according to researchers.

Visscher adds that some of these genes are also linked with the risk of getting dementia, which is crucial for further study and the search for possible treatment. Other genes can also predict the risk of getting bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

This research could shed more light in the understanding of how environmental changes can influence genetic behavior as opposed to discrimination in genetic profiles concerning genes and educational attainment, including one's intelligence.

This new study is published in the journal, Nature.

TagsGenetics, educational attainment, genes, genes linked to education