University of Utah. Graduation rates Monday, July 30, 2012
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — The number of college-age adults in Utah with a post-secondary degree rose by more than 5,000 from 2009 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Officials say the numbers are promising, but more work is required to reach Utah's education goals, especially among female students who continue to lag beyond their counterparts in other states in completing college.
In 2010, there were 168,410 graduates in the state between the ages of 25 and 34, or 38.5 percent of Utah's population of 25- to 34-year-olds. That number was 0.4 percent higher than in 2009, about equal to the percent average for that age group nationally.
While the increase reflects that more Utahns are pursuing higher education, the numbers alone do not necessarily offer good news about the rate of completion by those beginning a college education. More students attending school means more students both failing and succeeding at completing their studies. And the state-by-state figures also reflect those who completed degrees out of state, but who now reside in Utah.
Pamela Silberman, communications director for the Utah System of Higher Education, said the numbers offer a snapshot of a narrow segment of the state's adult population.
"Obviously there are many, many more people over the age of 34 that have some postsecondary degree," she said.
The Obama Administration has stated a goal of re-establishing the United States as the world's leader in percentage of adults with college degrees. The U.S. is currently ranked 16th.
"We've made some progress, but the combination of deep state budget cuts and rising tuition prices is pushing an affordable college education out of reach for middle class families," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at a meeting of the National Governors Association earlier this month.
"As the president has said, the countries that out-educate today will out-compete us tomorrow."
Utah is currently pursuing it's own higher education goal. The Prosperity 2020 campaign seeks to have 66 percent of Utahns between the ages of 25 and 64 holding some form of postsecondary certificate or degree by 2020. Currently, Utah is at about 43 percent, Silberman said, and the past few years have seen increases in both college enrollment and completion.
"We're on track but we can't get complacent about it," she said. "We have to push very hard."
