Many of Utah's recent college graduates are earning less per year than the state average of $32,171, according to a study comparing 2004 graduate earnings.

The Utah Foundation compared salaries of graduates from seven Utah colleges and found 40 percent to 69 percent of students who have a bachelor's degree earn less than $30,000 a year.

Mark Knold, senior economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, isn't surprised by the foundation's findings.

"Some degrees are a dime a dozen," he said. "Most people don't put a lot of thought into the degree they get. Later, they find there's not a big demand for something in which they have invested a lot of time and money."

Utah Valley State College's 2004 graduates are the most likely to earn more than $40,000 a year while 69 percent of Southern Utah University's graduates earn less than $30,000.

"UVSC graduates are much more likely to have studied business, computer science or other high-paying career-oriented subjects — giving them a statistical edge in salary rankings," said Richard Pak, the foundation research analyst who led the survey.

Brigham Young University has the next highest percentage of students, 55 percent, earning less than $30,000 a year while the University of Utah and Utah State University are tied, at 51 percent.