Education

Significant Statistics | Utah Has the Third-Highest Educational Attainment in the Nation

Written by: Staff

The latest data show that Utah’s post-high school attainment rate is 61.1%, well above the national average of 53.7%. We are the third highest in the country. Educational attainment is defined by the highest level of education achieved. The benchmark of attainment rate includes the share of individuals who received meaningful education beyond high school graduation. This includes college degrees, but also high-quality certificates and certifications. The proportion of a state’s residents with higher levels … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Finding Space for New Development

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Vice President Shawn Teigen and President Peter Reichard sit down to discuss the new report, Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life.  

Significant Statistics | How is Utah performing on the Nation’s Report Card?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The National Assessment of Education Progress – or the Nation’s Report Card – has been administered to students around the nation by the U.S. Department of Education for decades. Based upon the scores achieved, students are measured as “advanced,” “proficient,” “basic” or “below basic.” When looking at whether students are proficient, 2022 was a bad year. While states and the nation had been trending upward since 2000 with their proficient percentages on the math and … Continued

Op-ed: Rising inflation and housing crisis — Where is the American dream?

Written by: Peter Reichard

High housing costs. Rapidly rising interest rates. Surging oil prices. Escalating inflation.  If you don’t already own a home or if rising grocery costs don’t fit your budget, you might be excused for feeling a sense of dread. The American dream is built on homeownership and the idea that you can earn more in real dollars than your parents. But the elevated housing costs and surging interest rates are suddenly putting the first part of … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Is Utah Losing Focus on its Children?

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Senior Analyst Christopher Collard and President Peter Reichard discuss the May 2022 Utah Foundation report, The Flowering of Youth: The Next Generation in Utah. The report is the sixth installment in the Utah Social Capital Series. The report revealed some surprising trends nationally, but also in a state that takes pride in its focus on youth. 

Op-ed: Utah should be broadening educational horizons

Written by: Peter Reichard

Few dividing lines in our nation are as bright as the line between those who have some form of post-secondary degree or certification and those who do not. A shortfall in post-secondary educational attainment diminishes both social capital and economic prospects. And the consequences echo through generations, as the children of those with low educational attainment are more likely to follow suit. Some of the steps to expanding post-secondary attainment involve long-term, bottom-up changes. But … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Broadening Utah Students’ Horizons

Written by: Peter Reichard

Broadening Educational Horizons, Bridging Socio-Economic Gaps How can Utah inspire K-12 students to look beyond a high school diploma? When looking beyond high school, some Utah students face low expectations, a shortfall in post-secondary readiness, a lack of knowledge around post-secondary options and financial challenges. Our new report, Broadening Horizons: Clearing an Early Path to Post-Secondary Success, not only explores these challenges, but also seeks to reveal the network of supports that can help smooth the … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | The Middle-Class and Social Cohesion

Written by: Peter Reichard

How does economic stratification look in Utah? Utah is unique among Western States on a key measure of social cohesion   In March, the Utah Foundation put out a new edition in our Utah Social Capital Series called The Soil of Common Ground: Social Cohesion in Utah. On maybe the most important metric, Utah came out on top nationally. On another, Utah stands alone in the Western states. In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Senior … Continued

Op-ed: How communities can change the playbook to expand housing options

Written by: Peter Reichard

Scanning the older cities of Utah (or indeed any state) you encounter in the historic core a mix of lot sizes and uses. You might see small setbacks and often find single-family homes alongside small multi-family housing. Often, these areas appear designed for pedestrian commuting, shopping and recreation. As you move away from the historic core into the suburbs, the old patterns dissolve into a new one: All of the residential lots are larger and … Continued

Significant Statistics | Utah Teacher Pay to 2020

Written by: Shawn Teigen

New data from the U.S. Department of Education suggest that, when adjusting for inflation, teacher pay has held steady from 1990 to 2020. Mountain States’ average teacher pay has — with one exception — been below the national average. Pay in Colorado, Nevada and Arizona neared the U.S. in 1990 but has since decreased. On the other hand, pay has increased in others, including Utah. (And New Mexico skyrocketed from 2019 to 2020.) However, Utah … Continued