January 21, 2016
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education takes lead in aligning programs with employers’ needs
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education has taken a lead role in meeting
the Commonwealth’s growing demand for a more-educated citizenry, increasing the number
of bachelor’s degrees its universities are awarding while aligning its academic programming
with the specific needs of employers.
The 14 State System universities have increased the number of degrees they have awarded
by 10 percent over the last five years, according to a new study released today by
the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The increase comes
at a time when employers’ demands for college graduates also are increasing.
Already, more than one-third (1.94 million) of Pennsylvania’s 5.58 million workers
have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to research conducted by the Georgetown
Center and included in a new study titled Degrees of Value: College Majors and the Pennsylvania State System’s Contribution
to the Workforce. The demand for a more-educated workforce will continue to grow in the future.
The Georgetown Center analyzed the contributions of the State System universities
to higher education in Pennsylvania.
Among the study’s findings is that business is now the most popular field of study
across the System, accounting for 16 percent of graduates receiving a bachelor’s degree
from a System university.
The study also found that while they prepare fewer new teachers than they have in
the past, the State System universities still award 41 percent of all of the education
degrees earned in the state each year. Meanwhile, the number of bachelor’s degrees
in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and health-related fields
awarded by the 14 universities has increased by 37 percent since 2009, representing
the System’s fastest growing area of study.
The Georgetown Center report will become part of the State System’s “Program Alignment
Toolkit,” a set of resources designed to help the universities better connect with
the state’s economy.
“In response to the ever-changing economic environment and the State System’s strategic
plan, we have renewed our emphasis on aligning our programs with employer demands
and personal growth needs of students,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan.
“The Board of Governors and the System universities are examining ways to supplement
and complement the existing work that is going on in our 14 universities to prepare
our students for a lifetime of personal and career success.”
The report also examines the popularity of degrees and earnings of all college graduates
in the state. The most popular State System majors, including STEM, health, business,
education, humanities and liberal arts and social sciences, correspond to the fields
with the most college-educated workers in the state.
While college-educated employees in any field tend to earn more than those with only
a high school education, the college majors that lead to the highest earnings are
in STEM, health and business. For example, a major in architecture and engineering,
the highest-paying area of STEM, led to average earnings of $82,500 in Pennsylvania.
“As the share of Pennsylvania’s college-degree holders in the workforce and population
continues to grow, state policy-makers need data on regional economic needs to better
target investments in postsecondary education and workforce development,” said Anthony
P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown Center and the report’s lead author. “A key
piece to unlocking that data is better-designed information systems. We commend the
State System leadership for embracing transparency to make information about economic
outcomes available to aid in that process and also help guide decision making for
prospective students and their families.”
Other key findings from the report include:
•State System institutions cost less than other higher education options in Pennsylvania
where students can pursue a bachelor’s degree. On average, residents receiving grants
or scholarships pay about $4,000 less annually to attend State System universities
than other public institutions.
•The State System serves a greater share of Pell Grant recipients (32%) than other
public universities in Pennsylvania (28%) and private non-profit institutions (24%).
•The State System tied with private, non-profit institutions for the highest share
of bachelor’s degrees awarded to women (59%).
•Public universities now award more bachelor’s degrees than private colleges and universities
in Pennsylvania. This is a significant trend in a state that has long been dominated
by private higher education institutions.
•Almost three-quarters of the Pennsylvania workforce with a bachelor’s degree or higher
live in the state’s southeast or southwest regions, generally in the Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh metropolitan areas.
“The Georgetown Center report provides strategic context for the new role of higher
education in Pennsylvania and reconfirms the incredible value the 14 State System
universities bring to the Commonwealth’s economy,” said State System Executive Vice
Chancellor Peter H. Garland. “This report will help our universities better align
their academic offerings to the workforce needs of both their regional and the statewide
economies.”
The Georgetown Center’s States Initiative helps states use data more effectively to
inform policy and planning, and support decision-making about education and careers.
More information about the initiative, including individual pages for all 50 states
with related research, can be found on the Georgetown Center’s website at cew.georgetown.edu/initiatives-states.
For the full report, Degrees of Value: College Majors and the Pennsylvania State System’s
Contribution to the Workforce, visit cew.georgetown.edu/pennmajors.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with about 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands
more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively,
the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and
certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System
university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate
branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield
(Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent,
nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals,
education and training curricula, and career pathways. The Georgetown Center is affiliated
with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. For more information, visit:
cew.georgetown.edu. Follow us on Twitter @GeorgetownCEW, Facebook and LinkedIn.