By Diane Mwai
al.com
(TNS)
While a college degree doesn’t guarantee financial security, it’s becoming the clearest route to landing a high-paying job in many states.
A new report from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce analyzed which states (including Washington, D.C.) and industries offer the greatest return on investment for college degrees. It found that a postsecondary education is increasingly essential to securing a middle-class lifestyle.
By 2031, more than 12.5 million jobs will require at least some form of college education, with roles like general and operations managers, registered nurses, software developers, and accountants among the largest openings. Researchers project that 72% of jobs will require postsecondary education, and 42% will require a bachelor’s degree.
“Postsecondary education and training have become the threshold requirement for access to middle-class status and earnings,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown CEW, in a press release. “It is no longer the preferred pathway to middle-class jobs; it is increasingly the only pathway.”
Using Census Bureau data and labor projections, the report identified where jobs requiring a college degree are growing the fastest—and what that means for the future of the American workforce.
Here are the areas projected to have the largest share of jobs requiring a college degree by 2031. In each state, more than 70% of all jobs are expected to require a college degree:
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Minnesota
3. Massachusetts
4. Colorado
5. Washington
6. Nebraska
7. Virginia
8. Nevada
9. Utah
10. Vermont
11. Oregon
12. Hawaii
13. South Dakota
14. Iowa
15. Illinois
_______
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
Thanks for reading CPA Practice Advisor!
Subscribe Already registered? Log In
Need more information? Read the FAQs
Tags: college degree, job market, job search, Payroll
