More than 900,000 students will be entering Utah schools this fall, whether for the first time or as returning students. This includes students enrolled at the state’s K-12 schools and post-secondary colleges and universities.

As these students return to the classroom to increase their knowledge and education level, they are not only improving their own career and life outcomes, they’re also improving our shared economic future.

With education and training, workers can do their jobs more efficiently, so productivity and economic output increase as the labor pool becomes more educated. Education is also tied to higher earnings. In 2021, Utahns with bachelor’s degrees earned a median salary of $56,175, compared to $36,870 for high school graduates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A more educated workforce increases tax revenues, lowers poverty rates, and reduces reliance on public assistance programs. 

How educated is Utah’s workforce? Because of our strong focus on education, the Beehive State ranks 12th and 13th, respectively, among U.S. states in terms of the portion of the population with a high school or college degree. Among residents aged 25 and older, 93.2% have graduated high school and 36.8% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey. 

While the percentage of Utahns with a bachelor’s degree has dipped slightly since the pandemic when it peaked at 36.9% in 2020, it has grown significantly over the last decade, from 29.7% in 2011 to 36.8% in 2021.

Still, opportunity gaps in education might be limiting our economic growth. For example, white students ages 18-35 years old enroll in Utah’s public colleges and universities at an average rate of 15.1%, compared with an average rate of 11.6% for students of color, according to a 2021 analysis by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. 

Educational achievement gaps also exist between women and men. Nearly 39% of Utah men over age 25 have bachelor’s degrees compared to around 35% of Utah women. The gap widens for advanced degrees, which are held by 14.9% of Utah men and 10.4% of Utah women. 

Just as an educated population strongly correlates to economic strength, how well we’re educating our future workforce is a bellwether of economic growth. On this front, Utah seems to be doing well. Utah ranks second for economic well-being and sixth in child education, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2023 Kids Count Data Book, which measures a variety of child well-being indicators.

From political turmoil to a pandemic, our economy has weathered many unpredictable headwinds over the last several years.  Education is among the fundamentals that will anchor our economy now and into the future.