Washington Brief 2012
Washington is one of the top-ranked states in the nation in the share of students who graduate from public four-year institutions within six years of enrolling. But this statistic masks the fact that Washington lags behind most other states in the total number of bachelor’s degrees produced per capita. And although Washington ranks 11th in the nation in the percentage of adults who have earned at least an associate’s degree, the state’s success in this area stems from its ability to attract well-educated residents from other states and countries, who help to raise the level of education of the state population as a whole.
To reach the level of educational attainment of top-performing states and countries, Washington must increase educational attainment, particularly among younger residents. Washington also needs to improve higher education to meet workforce demands. The state’s economy is one of the most technology-intensive in the nation. By 2018, 67% of all jobs in Washington are projected to require workers to have at least some postsecondary education or training.
Executive Summary
State Policy Leadership Vacuum: Performance and Policy in Washington Higher Education: Executive SummaryPresentations
Press Coverage
Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal (3/3/14): Penn study criticizes Washington higher ed plans
The Seattle Times (3/26/12): Report: College enrollment growing too slowly
Free Speech Radio News (2/17/12): In Washington, access to higher education still and obstacle for many
Six Presidents: An Unprecedented Conversation on Higher Education Funding in Washington
The Daily Pennsylvanian (1/23/12): GSE Professors find Washington Higher Ed Pitfalls
Yakima Herald (1/21/12): Will State's Leaders Work to Champion Universities?
The Seattle Times (1/16/12): Governor Had Solid Agenda, But...
The Seattle Times (1/13/12): UPenn Report Confirms State Officials Failed Leadership on Higher Education
The Wenatchee World (1/13/12): Higher Education Can't Keep Up
The News Tribune (1/12/12): Washington's Leaders Flunk the Higher Education Test
Yakima Herald (1/11/12): Higher Ed Answers Not Easy to Find
Puget Sound Business Journal (1/10/12): Study Comes Down Hard on Wash. Politicians for State of Higher Education
The Bellingham Herald (1/10/12): Report: Washington State Higher Education in Crisis
Crosscut (1/10/12): Midday Scan: Legislators Killing Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed (1/10/12): Report Criticizes Higher Ed Policy Making in Washington State
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (1/9/12):
The Seattle Times (1/9/12): Report: Washington Falls Short in Higher Education
The Seattle Times (1/9/12): Higher-ed Woes Tied to State 'Leadership Vacuum'
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1/9/12): Report: Washington Falls Short in Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education (1/9/12): 'Leadership Vacuum' Undermines Higher Education in Washington State, Study Finds
The Bellingham Herald (1/9/12): REPORT: Washington Falling Short in College Education
ABOUT THE STATE REVIEW PROJECT
This report was part of the State Review Project, a project commissioned by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Lumina Foundation for Education. Read more about the State Review Project.