This is the second in the 2013 series of Utah Women and Education Initiative (UWEI) Research and Policy Briefs written to help state leaders, educators, legislators, and community members understand the current state of higher education for women in Utah. The first brief on education attainment of the Utah population included information about Utah’s big goal of having 66% of Utah’s population with postsecondary degrees or vocational certificates by the year 2020. The purpose of this second brief is to highlight the current enrollment and graduation data of women and men attending postsecondary institutions in Utah.
The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Information reports the percent of high school graduates that go directly to college. The most recent data show Utah at 58.5%, while the U.S. average is 63.3%. The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) tracked Utah’s 2007 high school graduates and found that between fall of 2007 and spring of 2012, 68.1% attended at least one semester of postsecondary study (68.5% females; 67.8% males). For 2008 graduates, 68.3% of females and 64.4% of males attended at least one semester between fall of 2008 and spring of 2012. However, these percentages do not track ongoing college attendance. According to Complete College America, 2011, only 53.8% of full-time Utah students in twoyear colleges return their second year. At four-year Utah colleges, 58.2% return the second year, 45% for year three, and only 41.5% for their fourth year.2 It is important to note that these rates are not adjusted for mission or military service.
Approximately 43.7% of men and 49% of women who enroll in Utah colleges and universities actually graduate. This does not compare well nationally for either gender. According to these statistics, bachelor’s degree graduation rates for Utah women are 9.5% below the nation and the percentage of men is similar. USHE reports that Utah women receive 55% of the associate degrees awarded in public institutions while only 47% of bachelor degrees—the lowest of all 50 states. Utah also has the lowest percent of doctorate/professional degrees awarded to women in the nation (41%) and is only ahead of the District of Columbia for the percent of master degrees awarded to women (46%).
To learn more about College Enrollment and Graduation: A Utah Women and Education Update read the entire brief.
This research synopsis, in partnership with scholars from around the state, provides a collection of data points that move the conversation from individuals’ perceptions of Utah women’s experiences toward data-driven realities.
January Newsletter for the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University.
Women make up a significant proportion of the overall labor force in the state, but many are employed in low-paying jobs with limited room for advancement. This 2023 update includes female employment nationally and in Utah.
