Utah Women & Leadership Project | Extension | Utah State University
Research & Policy Brief
August 7, 2026 | No. 73
The Power of Education: How Higher Education Shapes Utah Workplaces
For decades, studies from across the United States and around
the world have shown that education provides lasting bene-
fits. People with more education tend to earn higher incomes,
experience greater job stability, enjoy better health, greater
civic engagement, build stronger social networks, and report
higher levels of well-being.
1
For example, the 2026 State of Higher Education report from
the Lumina Foundation and Gallup found that nearly three-
fourths of US adults believe a college degree is important for
career success. Most current students and adults who are not
currently enrolled in school also believe that higher education
is worth the investment.
2 Similarly, a 2024 report from the
Pell Institute highlighted the economic, professional, per-
sonal, family, and community benefits of earning a college
degree or credential, especially for students from historically
marginalized groups.3 These findings reinforce what scholars
have known for decades: education expands opportunity and
strengthens communities.
The benefits of higher education extend beyond employment
and income. Education shapes how people understand
information, evaluate evidence, and interpret social and
workplace issues. It influences awareness of challenges and
opportunities related to gender, families, and work.
4 As indi-
viduals progress through higher
levels of education, their per-
spectives tend to broaden. On
average, they become more
aware of social inequalities and
more supportive of policies and
practices that promote fairness,
inclusion, and opportunity.5 In
other words, education does not
simply prepare people for jobs—it expands how they under-
stand the world.
This pattern appeared clearly in the Utah Women & Leader-
ship Project’s (UWLP) 2025 statewide survey, now in its
third year. Across the 83 survey items, educational attainment
was one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of
how Utahns viewed workplace issues. Whether respondents
were asked about childcare and pre-K programs, entrepre-
neurship, the gender pay gap, leadership development, work-
place culture, sexual harassment and discrimination, STEM
careers, or workforce development, one finding stood out:
people with higher levels of education showed greater aware-
ness of both the challenges and opportunities facing Utah
women and families. These patterns remained even after ac-
counting for differences in age, gender, and income.
This brief is the first in a two-part series focused on the eight
workplace-related areas of the A Bolder Way Forward (BWF)
framework, UWLP’s statewide initiative to help more Utah
girls, women, and families thrive. By examining how educa-
tional attainment shapes Utahns’ views about work, we high-
light an important empirical finding: education matters. At-
tending college, earning credentials, and continuing one’s ed-
ucation benefit individuals, families, communities, and the
state as a whole. Education also shapes how Utahns under-
stand the issues that affect women’s advancement, economic
security, and long-term prosperity.
As Utah continues to address workforce shortages, gender
disparities, and rapid economic change, understanding how
education influences public attitudes becomes increasingly
important. The findings presented in this brief provide a re-
search-based foundation for strengthening Utah’s workforce
and expanding opportunity across the state.
Survey Background
This brief presents data from the UWLP’s third annual
statewide survey, conducted during the fall of 2025. The
broader study was designed to measure Utahns’ awareness,
understanding, and attitudes regarding the challenges and op-
portunities facing women and girls in the state. Specifically,
the survey examined (1) awareness of and concern about key
issues affecting Utah women and girls, (2) attitudes toward
topics that influence women’s experiences and opportunities,
and (3) differences in perceptions across gender and other de-
mographic groups. Additional details about the study design
and participant characteristics are available in the five related
white papers released in early 2026.
6
The survey included 83 questions connected to the 18 focus
areas of the A Bolder Way Forward (BWF) framework. Re-
spondents answered these questions using a seven-point scale
ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The survey
also collected information on 13 demographic characteristics.
Most participants completed the survey in 10 to 20 minutes.
Data collection took place between October 1 and November
19, 2025. Researchers gathered responses from two groups.
First, a representative sample of Utah adults was obtained
through Qualtrics, producing 1,945 completed surveys. Sec-
ond, UWLP collected responses through community networks,
BWF coalitions, partner organizations, and targeted outreach


Education does
not simply prepare
people for jobs—it
expands how they
understand the
world.
August 7, 2026 | The Power of Education
Authors: Dr. Susan R. Madsen (Professor of Leadership, Extension, Utah State University) & Dr. Eric Dahlin (Professor of Sociology,
Brigham Young University). For questions, email eric.dahlin@byu.edu. Also, visit www.utwomen.org.
efforts, generating an additional 3,267 surveys. In total, 5,212
Utahns participated in the study, although some analyses in-
cluded fewer respondents because of missing responses on
certain survey items.
Findings by Area of Focus
For this brief, we conducted a new analysis to examine how
educational attainment influences Utahns’ views about work-
place issues. The results show a clear relationship between
education and workplace attitudes. For each topic, we present
findings from an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), a statistical
method used to determine whether people with different levels
of education hold different views. Because survey responses
were measured on a seven-point scale ranging from strongly
disagree to strongly agree, we also used ordered logistic re-
gression to examine patterns in the data (results not shown but
available by contacting the corresponding author).
Overall, higher levels of education were associated with
greater awareness of workplace opportunities and challenges.
These patterns appeared among both men and women. How-
ever, women generally expressed stronger views on many is-
sues, suggesting they recognized workplace challenges at
higher levels than men.
In this section, we report the statistical findings for the eight
BWF workplace spoke areas, beginning with the most over-
arching spoke, “Organizational Strategies & Workplace Cul-
ture.”
Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture
Respondents with more education were more likely to report
positive workplace experiences. Ratings of family-friendly
workplace policies increased from 4.6 among those with a
high school education or less to more than 5.2 among those
with bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Perceptions of ad-
vancement opportunities followed a similar pattern, increas-
ing from 4.6 to just over 5.0. Education was also linked to a
stronger sense of belonging at work. Average ratings rose
from 4.8 among the least-educated respondents to 5.6 among
those with graduate degrees. These findings show that people
with higher levels of education are more likely to report sup-
portive workplace cultures, stronger workplace connections,
and greater opportunities for advancement.
Table 1. Attitudes and Perceptions about Organizational
Strategies & Workplace Culture
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Family-
Friendly
Policies*
Opportu-
nities to
Advance*
Belonging
at Work*
High School or Less 4.6 4.6 4.8
Some College 4.8 4.6 5.0
Bachelor’s Degree 5.3 5.0 5.5
Graduate Degree 5.2 5.1 5.6
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant,
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Childcare & Pre-K Programs
Educational attainment was strongly related to views about
childcare and early childhood education. As education in-
creased, respondents were more likely to view childcare as an
important issue facing Utah families. Average ratings in-
creased from 5.0 among those with a high school education
or less to 6.3 among respondents with graduate degrees. More
educated respondents were also more likely to view childcare
providers as professionals and to recognize the importance of
childcare and pre-K programs in children’s development.
Support for government involvement in addressing childcare
needs also increased with education from 5.1 to 5.9. These
findings suggest that education increases awareness of both
the importance of childcare and the role it plays in supporting
families and the workforce.
Table 2. Attitudes about Childcare & Pre-K
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Childcare
Is an
Issue*
Providers
Are Pro-
fessionals*
Role of
Child-
care*
Govern-
ment Has
Role
High School
or Less 5.0 4.9 5.5 5.1
Some
College 5.5 4.9 5.9 5.2
Bachelor’s
Degree 5.9 5.4 6.1 5.6
Graduate
Degree 6.3 5.6 6.4 5.9
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Gender Pay Gap
Education was strongly associated with greater recognition of
the gender pay gap. Agreement that a pay gap exists increased
from 5.0 among respondents with a high school education or
less to 6.2 among those with graduate degrees. Likewise,
agreement that women earn less than men with similar edu-
cation and experience increased from 4.9 to 6.1. At the same
time, respondents with more education were less likely to at-
tribute the gender pay gap to women’s personal choices. Av-
erage ratings declined from 3.5 among the least-educated re-
spondents to 2.6 among those with graduate degrees. Support
for Utah leaders taking action to address the gender pay gap
also increased steadily with education from 5.4 to 6.1. To-
gether, these findings provide support for the notion that
higher levels of education are associated with greater recog-
nition of structural explanations for pay differences between
men and women.
Table 3. Gender Pay Gap Attitudes
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Gender
Pay Gap
Exists*
Women
Make Less
Money*
Gap Re-
sults from
Choices*
Utah
Leaders
Act*
High School
or Less 5.0 4.9 3.5 5.4
Utah Women & Leadership Project | Extension | Utah State University
Some
College 5.5 5.4 3.0 5.6
Bachelor’s
Degree 5.9 5.8 2.8 5.9
Graduate
Degree 6.2 6.1 2.6 6.1
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Leadership Development
Respondents with more education expressed stronger leader-
ship aspirations and greater confidence in their leadership
abilities. Agreement with wanting to be a leader increased
from 4.9 among the least-educated respondents to 5.8 among
those with graduate degrees. Similarly, respondents with
more education were more likely to believe that others viewed
them as leaders and to identify themselves as leaders. Percep-
tions of access to leadership development opportunities also
increased with education from 4.7 to 5.5. Education not only
develops workplace skills but also appears to strengthen lead-
ership confidence and aspirations.
Table 4. Attitudes and Perceptions
about Leadership Development
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Aspire
to be a
Leader*
Others
See Me as
Leader*
I See My-
self as a
Leader*
Opportu-
nities to
Lead*
High School
or Less 4.9 4.7 4.7 4.7
Some
College 5.0 4.9 4.8 4.9
Bachelor’s
Degree 5.5 5.4 5.3 5.3
Graduate
Degree 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.5
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination
Higher levels of education were associated with greater
awareness of workplace discrimination and harassment,
though the agreement levels were all among the highest in the
survey. Agreement that gender-based discrimination is a
problem in Utah increased from 5.0 among respondents with
a high school education or less to 6.0 among those with grad-
uate degrees.
In contrast, agreement that concerns about sexual harassment
are exaggerated decreased as education increased. Ratings
fell from 3.4 among the least-educated respondents to 2.1
among those with graduate degrees. Awareness of resources
available to individuals who experience harassment also in-
creased slightly with education. One noteworthy finding in-
volves trust in organizations. While education increased
awareness of discrimination and workplace challenges, it was
associated with lower levels of trust that organizations would
appropriately respond to harassment reports. Average ratings
declined from 4.5 among respondents with a high school ed-
ucation or less to 3.5 among those with graduate degrees. This
pattern suggests that education increases awareness of work-
place problems while also influencing respondents’ skepti-
cism about whether organizations can effectively handle
workplace challenges. This represents an important tension.
Education increases both engagement and scrutiny. People
with more education reported stronger feelings of belonging
at work and better access to family‑friendly policies, yet they
were also less likely to trust organizations to meet employee
needs and were more aware of discrimination and harassment.
Table 5. Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based
Discrimination Attitudes
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Gender
Discrim-
ination*
Harassment
Is Over-
stated*
Aware
of Re-
sources*
Trust in
Organi-
zations*
High School
or Less 5.0 3.4 4.8 4.5
Some
College 5.3 2.7 4.7 4.2
Bachelor’s
Degree 5.8 2.5 4.9 3.8
Graduate
Degree 6.0 2.1 5.1 3.5
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
STEM Fields
Education was associated with several differences in attitudes
toward STEM careers. As education increased, respondents
became somewhat less likely to believe that STEM fields are
welcoming to women. Ratings declined from 4.8 among the
least-educated respondents to 4.4 among those with graduate
degrees. Respondents with more education were less likely to
believe that STEM careers are more difficult than jobs in
other industries, with scores decreasing from 4.3 to 3.7 across
educational groups. Support for trade careers as a good option
for women increased steadily, with scores increasing from 5.2
among the least-educated respondents to 5.8 among those
with graduate degrees. Lastly, though respondents agreed that
women can successfully advance in STEM careers, these
views changed very little across education levels.
Table 6. Attitudes and Perceptions
about STEM Fields
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
STEM
Welcomes
Women*
STEM
Jobs More
Difficult*
Women
Can Ad-
vance
Trade
Jobs for
Women*
High School
or Less 4.8 4.3 5.0 5.2
Some
College 4.8 4.1 4.8 5.4
Bachelor’s
Degree 4.5 4.0 4.9 5.6
Graduate
Degree 4.4 3.7 4.9 5.8
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
August 7, 2026 | The Power of Education
Authors: Dr. Susan R. Madsen (Professor of Leadership, Extension, Utah State University) & Dr. Eric Dahlin (Professor of Sociology,
Brigham Young University). For questions, email eric.dahlin@byu.edu. Also, visit www.utwomen.org.
Workforce Development
Educational attainment was strongly related to positive per-
ceptions of workforce readiness and future employment op-
portunities. Respondents with more education were more
likely to report knowing how to access resources needed to
obtain a quality job. Ratings increased from 4.7 among those
with a high school education or less to 5.5 among respondents
with bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Belief in one’s employ-
ability showed an even stronger pattern, increasing from 5.2
to 6.3 across educational groups. Confidence that current cir-
cumstances would allow successful employment over the
next five years also rose substantially, increasing from 4.8 to
6.0. Respondents with more education were also more likely
to believe that Utah offers employment opportunities that
work well for them and their families, increasing from 4.9
among the least-educated respondents to 5.7 among those
with graduate degrees. Overall, the findings suggest that edu-
cation strengthens confidence, preparedness, and optimism
regarding future employment.
Table 7. Attitudes and Perceptions about
Workforce Development
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Aware
of Re-
sources*
Belief in
Employ-
ability*
Circum-
stances
Permit
Success*
Employ-
ment
Works for
Me*
High School
or Less 4.7 5.2 4.8 4.9
Some
College 4.8 5.5 4.9 4.9
Bachelor’s
Degree 5.5 6.0 5.6 5.4
Graduate
Degree 5.5 6.3 6.0 5.7
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Entrepreneurship
Educational attainment was associated with several entrepre-
neurial attitudes, although the differences were smaller than
those found in other areas. Interest in starting a business de-
clined slightly as education increased, falling from 4.8 among
the least-educated respondents to 4.4 among those with grad-
uate degrees. Respondents with more education were more
likely to believe that family members and friends would sup-
port their decision to start a business. Ratings increased from
5.4 to 5.9. Education was associated with slightly greater con-
fidence in knowing how to access entrepreneurial resources
and support. Responses fell from 4.2 for those with a high
school degree or less to 4.0 for those with some college before
increasing to 4.1 and 4.3 for those with college and graduate
degrees, respectively. These results show that more education
influences perceptions of support and available resources for
entrepreneurship but not for the entrepreneurial ambition it-
self or confidence that the startup would grow big enough to
employ others.
Table 8. Attitudes and Perceptions about
Entrepreneurship
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Level of
Education
Start a
Busi-
ness*
Others
Would
Approve*
Startup to
Employ
Others
Resources
and Sup-
port*
High School
or Less 4.8 5.4 4.8 4.2
Some
College 4.7 5.5 4.8 4.0
Bachelor’s
Degree 4.6 5.7 4.9 4.1
Graduate
Degree 4.4 5.9 4.9 4.3
*The mean difference for education categories is statistically significant
at p < .05. Data are presented by level of education.
Select Findings by Gender
To better understand how gender and educational attainment
interact to shape workplace attitudes, the following figures
compare results for women and men in a few spoke areas.
These comparisons show that educational attainment shifts
women’s views far more than men’s, widening the gender gap
in perceptions of workplace inequality and harassment
Figure 1 illustrates how educational attainment relates to re-
spondents’ agreement with the idea that the gender pay gap is
primarily attributable to women’s personal choices (e.g., ca-
reer breaks, educational decisions, experience levels, or job
industry). Results are shown separately for men and women.
Men consistently expressed greater agreement than women
across all education levels, and their mean responses re-
mained relatively stable—ranging from approximately 3.6 to
3.8. The pattern suggests that educational attainment has little
influence on men’s views about the role of personal choices
in explaining the gender pay gap.
Figure 1. Gender Pay Gap Attitudes Relating
to Personal Choices
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
In contrast, women’s responses varied substantially by edu-
cational attainment. Among women with a high school edu-
cation or less, the mean level of agreement was approximately
3.69 3.62 3.73 3.74
3.42
2.84
2.5 2.29
0
1
2
3
4
High school or
less
Some college Bachelor's
degree
Graduate
degree
Men Women
Utah Women & Leadership Project | Extension | Utah State University
3.4, relatively close to that of men. However, agreement de-
clined steadily as education increases, falling to 2.8 among
those with some college, 2.5 among bachelor’s degree gradu-
ates, and 2.3 among women with graduate degrees. Thus,
more highly educated women are progressively less likely to
attribute the gender pay gap to women's personal choices.
Figure 2 extends the analysis by examining how gender and
educational attainment shape perceptions of gender-based
sexual harassment in Utah. The figure indicates that educa-
tional attainment is associated with greater recognition of dis-
crimination for both men and women. As education increases,
respondents become increasingly less likely to agree that gen-
der-based discrimination is overstated in Utah.
Figure 2. Sexual Harassment Is Overstated
(1 = Strongly Disagree; 7 = Strongly Agree)
Furthermore, women reported substantially lower levels of
agreement than men across every educational category, and
the gap increases with more education. Among women with
a high school education or less, the mean level of agreement
was approximately 3.25. Agreement declined steadily with
increasing education, dropping to about 2.5 among those with
some college to 1.9 among women with graduate degrees. This
suggests educational attainment heightens awareness of sex-
ual harassment for women to a much greater degree.
Policy Implications
The findings from this study provide the following seven pol-
icy implications:
First, education changes how Utahns see the workplace.
Across every spoke area, higher educational attainment was
associated with greater awareness of workplace challenges;
stronger recognition of inequities; and clearer expectations
for fairness, opportunity, and accountability. This means that
as Utah’s workforce becomes more educated, employers and
policymakers will face rising expectations for transparency,
equity, and supportive workplace practices.
Second, education alone cannot close workplace gaps. Even
among the most educated respondents, women consistently
reported fewer opportunities for advancement, greater con-
cern about discrimination and harassment, and lower trust that
organizations will respond appropriately to workplace prob-
lems. These persistent gender gaps indicate that structural and
cultural barriers remain, regardless of education level.
Third, organizations must strengthen transparency, accounta-
bility, and advancement pathways. The findings show that
people with more education expect clearer promotion struc-
tures, stronger leadership development opportunities, and more
responsive organizational practices. Employers who want to
attract and retain an increasingly educated workforce will
need to demonstrate measurable progress in these areas.
Fourth, family‑friendly policies are both fairness strategies
and workforce strategies. Respondents with higher education
levels express greater awareness of the importance of child-
care, flexible scheduling, and caregiving support. As Utah’s
labor force becomes more educated and more diverse, invest-
ments in family‑supportive policies will be essential for re-
tention, productivity, and long‑term economic growth.
Fifth, trust is a critical and fragile component of workplace
culture. One of the most striking findings is that trust in or-
ganizations declines as education increases. More educated re-
spondents were more aware of discrimination and harassment
but less confident that organizations would handle reports ap-
propriately. This suggests that employers must prioritize trust‑
building efforts, including transparent reporting processes,
consistent follow‑through, and visible accountability.
Sixth, workforce development must include both skills and
structures. While education strengthens confidence, prepar-
edness, and optimism about employment, it does not elimi-
nate structural barriers. Workforce development strategies
should therefore pair educational pathways with organiza-
tional reforms that ensure equitable access to opportunities.
And finally, seventh, gender disparities require targeted ac-
tion. The gender gaps documented across the spoke areas—
especially in perceptions of discrimination, harassment, ad-
vancement, and workplace culture—underscore the need for
intentional, gender‑responsive policies. Without targeted in-
terventions, these disparities will persist even as overall edu-
cation levels rise.
Conclusion
Education has long been recognized as a pathway to eco-
nomic mobility, but the findings from this study show that its
influence extends far beyond wages or job skills. For Utahns,
higher levels of education broaden awareness of the factors
that shape thriving workplaces—family‑friendly policies, ad-
vancement pathways, organizational culture, and the persis-
tent inequities that affect women’s opportunities and long‑
term security. More educated respondents reported stronger
feelings of belonging; greater recognition of workplace chal-
lenges; and clearer expectations for fairness, transparency,
and accountability.
Yet education alone cannot close the gaps. Across every
spoke area, women—regardless of education level—reported
fewer opportunities for advancement, greater concern about
3.74 3.47 3.63
3.29
3.23
2.48 2.21
1.84
0
1
2
3
4
High school or
less
Some college Bachelor's
degree
Graduate
degree
Men Women
August 7, 2026 | The Power of Education
Authors: Dr. Susan R. Madsen (Professor of Leadership, Extension, Utah State University) & Dr. Eric Dahlin (Professor of Sociology,
Brigham Young University). For questions, email eric.dahlin@byu.edu. Also, visit www.utwomen.org.
discrimination and harassment, and lower trust that organiza-
tions will respond appropriately to workplace problems. These
disparities underscore a central insight: education elevates
awareness, but structures determine outcomes.
Utah’s future prosperity depends on its ability to meet work-
force demands while honoring the strong family and commu-
nity values that define the state. As more Utahns pursue and
complete higher levels of education, employers and policy-
makers will need to strengthen the structures that support both
families and workplaces. Investments in flexible work ar-
rangements, caregiving support, parental leave, leadership
development, and transparent advancement practices are not
simply employee benefits—they are essential workforce
strategies for a rapidly changing economy.
The evidence is clear: when educational and organizational
practices work together, Utah’s families, communities, and
economy all benefit. Strengthening these foundations is not
only a matter of fairness; it is a strategic imperative for Utah’s
long‑term growth and shared prosperity.
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Acknowledgements: We thank the Beesley Family Foun-
dation, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation,
and the Mortensen Company Foundation for their ongo-
ing investment in this work.
Copyright © 2026 Utah Women & Leadership Project.
