Colorado is one of the most highly educated states in the country. However, a new report shows that a smaller number of those credentials translate into clear economic gains (like a bigger paycheck).
According to the latest data from the Lumina Foundation place, Colorado is among the top tier nationally for overall education attainment. Colorado also ranks high when measuring how many of those degrees and certificates deliver strong earnings, according to reporting from Colorado Public Radio.
About six in 10 adults in Colorado ages 25 to 64 have completed education or training beyond high school, according to Lumina’s anual report analyzing 2024 data. That includes associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degrees, along with certificates and industry certifications.
But just over half of Coloradans have a “degree of value.”
Nationally, 54.8 percent of adults ages 25 to 64 hold some form of postsecondary credential compared to 64.3 percent in Colorado. The number of Coloradans with post-secondary credentials grew 18.5 percentage points from 2009 to 2024, and Colorado ranks second nationally in overall attainment.
This year’s report introduces a new focus: Instead of counting all credentials equally, Lumina now tracks whether degrees and certificates produce at least 15 percent higher median earnings than those of a typical high school graduate. These are considered “credentials of value.”
Just 43.6 percent of adults in the labor force nationally hold a credential that meets that earnings benchmark, according to CPR’s reporting. Colorado performs better than the national average on this measure at 57.7 percent, third in the nation after Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts.
Most bachelor’s and graduate degrees meet the earnings threshold. But economic returns vary widely for associate degrees and short-term certificates, depending heavily on field of study and connection to the workforce demand.
Colorado’s credentials of value tend to cluster in industries the state has tagged as “Top Jobs” fields such as health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, skilled trades/construction, and energy/aerospace.
Colorado’s comparatively high bachelor’s degree attainment boosts its overall standing, but short-term credentials do not consistently meet the earnings benchmark. This contributes to the gap between attainment and economic value.
