For years Mississippi like other states pitched university degrees as a key to success.
“University graduates earn on average $1 million more in a lifetime than someone with a high school diploma,” proclaimed a 2007 blurb from Mississippi IHL, “and approximately $17,000 more a year than a person with some college.”
Yet, Mississippi has ranked at or near the bottom for university degree attainment for years. Most recently the state ranked next to last behind West Virginia. Only 22.8% of the population age 25 or older had at least a bachelor’s degree. Thirty-seven states achieved a 30% rate or higher.
But now Mississippi has a new pitch that is better oriented to our circumstances, one prompted by the Lumina Foundation.
“Ascent to 55%” is the new goal created by Accelerate Mississippi (the state’s workforce agency) in alliance with the Woodward Hines Education Foundation. The goal is to achieve by 2030 a 55% rate among working age adults for postsecondary degrees (community college and university) plus industry certifications earned after high school.
“Why does this goal matter?” states the Ascent web site. “Because a more qualified workforce yields higher wages and a stronger, more vibrant Mississippi economy.”
Lumina projects that nationally 60% of adults aged 24 to 65 will hold “a credential beyond high school” by 2025. Mississippi is currently estimated to have a 45.2% rate compared to the national average of 51.3%.
Note: The Census Bureau does not include postsecondary certifications in its data set for calculating educational achievement. Lumina devised a method to estimate these numbers.
Somehow this topic led me to wonder about trends in the educational attainment level of our Legislature which represents people at all attainment levels.
The profiles published by the Legislature are not consistent so it is hard to get firm numbers. Some profiles show actual degrees earned. Others only show institutions attended. Still, the overall attainment level appears to be high.
Assuming all graduated from institutions they listed, 79% of current House members hold university degrees, 12% community college degrees, 4% certifications (e.g. fire and law enforcement academies), and 5% high school diplomas. In the Senate 92% hold university degrees, 4% community college degrees, and 4% high school diplomas.
That computes to an overall 95% rate of postsecondary degrees plus certifications. With 28 of the 31 new members taking office in January holding university degrees, that percentage will hold.
The number of industry certificated persons in the House and Senate will not go up. As the push to award more such certifications gains momentum that may change. Meanwhile, the number of lawyers did go down, from 38 to 37.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” – Romans 12:2.
Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
