A recent report from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education says college grads will be in short supply in the future, threatening the state’s economy.
65% — Percentage of jobs nationwide that are projected to require some college education by 2020 . . .
AND THE PERCENTAGES IN SELECT JOB MARKETS:
> Top 5
76% in District of Columbia
74% in Minnesota
74% in Colorado
72% in Massachusetts
72% in North Dakota
> Bottom 5
55% in West Virginia
56% in Louisiana
58% in Tennessee
59% in Arkansas
61% in Mississippi
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19% of jobs in Massachusetts will require at least a master’s degree by 2020; the national number is 11%
55,000-65,000
Estimated minimum shortfall of new associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Massachusetts’s public campuses to meet employers’ needs by 2025
WHY ARE DEGREES FROM PUBLIC COLLEGES IMPORTANT?
9 out of 10 students from public campuses remain in the state one year
after graduation; grads from private schools are more likely to leave
+31% — Percentage increase in Massachusetts high school graduates 1997-2008
-9% — Percentage decrease predicted 2009-2020
33% — Percentage of college-bound Massachusetts high school graduates who pick out-of-state schools; the state ranks 29th in the nation in retention of its grads
27% — Percentage of current Massachusetts public university graduates who get bachelor’s degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and health care fields; the report says many more are needed
Sources: Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, “Degrees of Urgency,” October 2014; Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, “Recovery,” June 2013