
There’s good news and bad news in the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2023 State of Education and Talent report released today.
“The Detroit Region is gradually increasing educational attainment, but there are significant challenges that, if not addressed, will jeopardize our ability to field a workforce that’s prepared for the jobs of the future,” says Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
“Our report is good news, bad news. There are promising gains like increased bachelor’s degree attainment, yet an alarming downward trend in overall enrollment. The bottom line is that we still have too many people not earning a degree or credential after high school.”
On the positive side of the ledger, the report says the share of students who enroll and obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher within six years of high school graduation is increasing, with rates in the city of Detroit (25 percent) and region (50 percent) increasing seven percentage points over the past five years.
Graduation rates at four-year institutions for regional students (71 percent) and city of Detroit students (42 percent) have increased incrementally over the past five years, according to the report. Graduation rates at two-year institutions have also shown minimal increases with regional students at 32 percent and city of Detroit students at 12 percent.
Black, Latino Detroit Promise students outpace national average by wide margin, the report states. The 62 percent graduation rate for Black Detroit Promise students who enrolled at a four-year institution in 2016 and 2017 is 13 percentage points higher than the national average for Black students. For Latino Detroit Promise students, the gap is seven percentage points.
Apprenticeships have nearly doubled in past five years. The Detroit Region has more than 7,600 active apprentices as of 2022, with completions nearly doubling since 2018. The majority of active apprentices are in the construction and manufacturing industries, however, retail trade, utilities, and health care also are leading industries with apprenticeship opportunities.
Reversing a multi-year decline, the city of Detroit high school graduation rate increased from 68 percent to 73 percent in 2022, while still trailing the rest of the region (85 percent) and national average (87 percent).
The bad news coming from the report includes data that shows postsecondary enrollment continues to drop as 37 percent of regional students and 59 percent of city of Detroit students have not enrolled within 12 months of high school graduation.
Of students who enroll in postsecondary education, 42 percent of the region’s students and 70 percent of city of Detroit students have not earned a degree or certificate within six years of high school graduation.
In 2022, 27 percent of Black or African American adults, 25 years or older, and 34 percent of Hispanic or Latino adults had an associate degree or higher — well below the Detroit Region’s rate of 44 percent.
According to the report, in 2022, educational institutions in the Detroit Region conferred more than 45,000 certificates and degrees. Black or African American students, however, accounted for just 12 percent of degree completions despite representing 20 percent of the region’s adult population.
The Detroit Region has 492,000 working-age adults with some college with no degree, which at 22 percent, is the highest share among peer regions. Adults, 25 years and older, earning an associate degree or higher from postsecondary institutions in the Detroit Region have decreased 6 percent year over year and 15 percent over the past five years.
Other key takeaways from the chamber’s report:
- Half of regional students complete FAFSA, Michiganders left more than $90 million in federal aid unclaimed.
- Only 27.5 percent of voters said a four-year degree was worth the money, according to recent chamber polling.
- Only 26.5 percent of voters say a college education is very important to landing a successful job in Michigan.
The Detroit Regional Chamber established the goal of achieving 60 percent of the region’s adult population with a postsecondary degree or credential and cutting the racial equity gap by 2030, a goal that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has adopted for all of Michigan. As of 2022, the Detroit Region is at 53 percent, marking a nearly three-percentage-point-improvement since 2018.
“We must close the racial equity gap and ensure more working-age adults are returning to college to finish their degree to reach our educational attainment goals,” says Greg Handel, vice president of education and talent programs for the chamber. “Doing so takes time and a long-term commitment by the entire Detroit Region to continue to develop and scale programs that improve access and affordability while supporting students throughout their educational journey.”
Visit detroitchamber.com to explore the full report.