Michigan residents with degrees, skills certificates rises, but state ranking falls

Michigan’s postsecondary education attainment rate has grown
Nationally its ranking has fallen
One advocate noted that means the state is falling behind on workforce competitiveness

Michigan has increased its share of residents with a postsecondary credential by 5% since it set a goal seven years ago to increase educational attainment, according to a new report released Thursday.

In spite of the growth, the state fell in national rankings for educational attainment during that same time period.

In 2024, 51.6% of Michigan residents ages 25-64 held either a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree, according to the latest “Stronger Nation” report from the Lumina Foundation, which has tracked educational attainment nationally for 15 years.

This is an increase from 49.1% in 2019 when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer set a goal of increasing postsecondary educational attainment to 60% of Michigan residents by 2030.

Since then, Michigan has invested millions of dollars in scholarships for traditional college students and adults to defray tuition costs. While postsecondary education attainment has increased, Michigan ranked 39th overall in 2024 when compared to 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

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But one advocate noted that in spite of progress, the state ranked higher in national rankings in 2019: 37th, according to Lumina, which is based in Indianapolis.

“This latest update to Lumina’s Stronger Nation report illustrates that Michigan is making progress on increasing the educational attainment levels among the state’s working-age residents,” said Daniel Hurley, CEO of Michigan Association of State Universities.

“However, it is notable that the state is simultaneously falling behind from a workforce competitiveness standpoint,” said Hurley, whose organization advocates for the state’s 15 public universities.

“It underscores the competitive national landscape within which Michigan is operating and is evidence that state leaders throughout the country recognize that boosting educational attainment and workforce talent levels is the most important factor in achieving state economic goals.”

Michigan also currently ranks 40th in the nation for per-capita income, added Lou Glazer, CEO Michigan Future Inc., a think tank offering ideas for the state’s success. “It’s the lowest we’ve ever been.” States with the highest per-capita income have a much higher share of residents with a four-year degree or higher.

“They go hand in hand,” Glazer said.

State remains ‘focused on investments’

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is, “committed to expanding access to affordable education so more Michiganders can earn degrees or credentials that help them succeed and support their families,” said spokesperson Aundreana Jones-Poole.

Michigan is experiencing progress statewide with state-funded programs such as Michigan Reconnect, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Community College Guarantee, Jones-Poole added, with increasing enrollment at colleges and universities and growth in associate and bachelor’s degree attainment.

She noted that recent data shows that the five-year-old Michigan Reconnect has helped boost adult enrollment at Michigan community colleges by 38%.

“That progress reflects the impact of sustained investment and continues to move Michigan toward its Sixty by 30 goal,” Jones-Poole said. “(The) report from the Lumina Foundation underscores the importance of continuing this work, and we remain focused on investments that help more Michiganders complete education and training that opens doors to real economic opportunity.”

Michigan’s 51.6% postsecondary attainment rate lags behind the national attainment rate of 54.8%, according to the report.

Of the state’s 83 counties, only two have exceeded the state’s goal: Washtenaw and Oakland counties, with 66.7% and 62.1% of residents having a postsecondary credential, respectively. The lowest postsecondary attainment rates were in Lake, Clare and Montcalm counties with 18.4%, 23.5% and 24.8%, respectively.

Like other states, the report showed that Michigan grapples with a gap in educational attainment between white residents and underrepresented minority groups: 47% of white residents have earned an associate degree or higher compared to 29% of Black residents, 33% of Hispanic residents and 27% of American Indian and Alaska Native residents. Of the state’s Asian and Pacific Islander residents, 73% have a degree. The report’s educational attainment for race and ethnicity does not include short-term credentials.

Earnings potential

Starting with 2024, Lumina is also tracking “credentials of value,” meaning the percentage of people in the labor force with postsecondary degrees and certificates who earn at least 15% more than the national median wage of someone with only a high school education, which was $45,884 in 2024.

Michigan’s “credentials of value” rate was 41.1% in 2024, compared to a national rate of 43.6%.

The new metric is aimed at evolving the conversation about the value of earning a credential and also for policymakers to assess which credentials are paying off for residents in their state.

“It’s no longer just about whether somebody has a credential,” said Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning of the Lumina Foundation. “It’s whether they are economically better off with it.”

The Lumina Foundation has set a goal that 75% of adults in the U.S. labor force will have college degrees or other credentials of value by 2040.

The new metric placed Michigan 32nd nationally among 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Glazer said Michigan’s next governor should prioritize credentials that have more value.

Brown said educational attainment and valuable credentials are tied together.

“Overall, (Michigan’s) credentials are paying off at the same or more than the national average,” Brown said. “Yet (Michigan) is falling under the national average in certificates of value because the state’s attainment numbers are lower.”

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