The Utah State University Utah Women & Leadership Project released a new report on September 3, 2026, detailing significant challenges in educational attainment for Utah women, including high rates of college non-completion. The analysis, which utilizes recent American Community Survey data, underscores a persistent gender gap in graduate-level degrees and highlights substantial regional variations in educational achievement across the state.
College Completion Challenges
The report, titled Educational Attainment of Utah Women: A 2026 Update, identifies Utah as one of the states with a high percentage of adults who begin college but do not finish. In 2024, 22.2% of Utah adults aged 25 and older had completed some college but did not earn a degree. This trend highlights a critical need for targeted retention strategies within the state's higher education systems.
Gender Gaps in Advanced Degrees
While Utah continues to outperform national averages regarding high school completion—with only 7.3% of adults lacking a diploma compared to 10.3% nationally—gender disparities remain evident at higher levels of education. At the bachelor's level, Utah women and men earn degrees at similar rates, surpassing national averages. However, a gap exists in graduate education, where Utah men earn graduate and professional degrees at higher rates than women across all age groups, with the most significant disparities appearing among older adults.
Regional Disparities in Education
The research also revealed significant regional differences in educational outcomes across Utah counties. While some rural areas face challenges with high school completion, other rural regions, such as Summit and Wasatch counties, lead the state in both bachelor's and graduate degree attainment. These variations indicate that gender gaps and educational access are not uniform across the state's geography.
Impact on Opportunity and Health
Susan R. Madsen, the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project and coauthor of the report, noted that higher education is a primary driver for economic mobility and health. Madsen stated that while educational attainment is linked to improved health, marital satisfaction, and civic engagement, these benefits are not evenly distributed across Utah's population.
Proposed Policy Priorities
In response to these findings, the report outlines several policy priorities to improve statewide outcomes. These include expanding access to high-quality secondary and postsecondary education in rural regions, investing in evidence-based strategies to improve college retention, and addressing gender gaps in graduate education through targeted recruitment and financial pathways. Madsen emphasized the urgency of these efforts as Utah navigates rapid economic changes and workforce demands.
A Broader Research Initiative
The 2026 educational report is part of a broader, multi-year research initiative by the Utah State University Utah Women & Leadership Project. This initiative, known as A Bolder Way Forward, uses data-driven metrics to track progress in 18 different areas, including education, community engagement, safety, health, and the workplace.
Previous Statewide Findings
Previous research from the project has examined various social issues affecting Utahns. In March 2026, the UWLP published a white paper on home, health, community, and allyship, which found that nearly 70% of men believe domestic labor is shared equitably, compared to 56.2% of women. That study also noted that women in Utah are less likely than women in other states to seek preventive healthcare.
