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In 2024, just over 37 percent of Wyoming workers between 25 and 64 years old had a college degree or professional certificate and earned more than their peers with a high school diploma, nearly six percentage points lower than the national average, according to Lumina Foundation’s new "A Stronger Nation" report.

Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning for the foundation, said the report is not just about numbers or charts. It is an opportunity for policymakers and educators to create pathways for people to get the education and skills they need to succeed.

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"When more people can access and succeed in earning credentials of value, communities benefit, the economy grows and more people are on a path to a good job and a good life," Brown outlined.

Wyoming ranks 46th among the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico for workers earning at least 15 percent above a high school graduate’s median paycheck. More Wyomingites with a bachelor’s degree are meeting this benchmark than those with associate degrees. In 2024, just over 53 percent of Wyoming’s workforce had some postsecondary education, up from 18 percent in 2009.

Many people are skeptical about taking on debt associated with a four-year college degree.

Jeff Strohl, director of the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, said the investment really starts to pay off after age 35. Industry certificate programs can also boost lifetime earnings but Strohl acknowledged they need to provide the right skill sets for people to land jobs paying a living wage.

"They got to be really laser beam-aligned with the job in the field that somebody is going to work on," Strohl emphasized. "We don't have the strongest counseling system in the world, and we need to invest more in it to help these students align with jobs, that they make use of their skills.

Currently, just over 43 percent of U.S. workers have college degrees or credentials, and Lumina wants to see it increase to 75 percent by 2040. Higher levels of education are often linked to greater economic prosperity but Brown pointed out there are many other benefits.

"Research has shown again and again not only the economic impact on the individual but also, they're more likely to be healthy, they're more likely to vote, they're more likely to participate in their communities," Brown underscored.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.