Is education still a priority?

Utah used to be known for the education level of its residents; but not anymore.

A research brief published last week by the Utah Foundation used data from the census and the American Community Survey to track the state's educational trend since 2000. An earlier foundation report tracked it from 1940, the first year the census gathered such information, to 2000. The news isn't good.

Back in 1940, Utah ranked sixth among all states in the percentage of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. That fell to 16th by 2000, and it is now 18th. Break the numbers down by gender and you get even more troubling data. Between 1940 and 1980, Utah was consistently in the top five states in terms of men with bachelor's degrees. Today it ranks 11th. The state used to rank ninth for women with at least a bachelor's, but now it ranks 26th.

The figures need to be put into context. More Utahns are earning college degrees today than they were in 1940, but other states are making larger gains than Utah. This is particularly true regarding women. But young men in Utah have not made any gains this decade, mirroring a national trend.

The report offers a number of possible explanations. It's no secret that Utah's demographics are changing as the state's population grows rapidly. Some immigrants to the state may have little education and may have children who have little chance to attend college. Also, the state's booming economy through much of the decade was at least a factor, as many high school graduates found the lure of readily available well-paying jobs more enticing than college. That trend, at least, has changed with the recession. Also, schools here may not be actively encouraging enrollment the way colleges do elsewhere.

Regardless of the reasons, the trend needs to be reversed. Utah has often touted its highly educated work force as a selling point to attract business to the state. That's more than just hype and PR. The study cites research by Harvard economist Ed Glaeser, which shows that for every 10 percent increase in the college degrees of adults in a metropolitan area, wages for workers with fixed education levels increase by 8 percent.

State lawmakers may not have much money for public and higher education this year, but this report ought to spur them to do whatever they can to re-emphasize the need for education. Utah still ranks well at 18th, but it can't afford to drop any further.