Governor's office releases new earnings data for Georgia higher ed graduates

Georgia policymakers and the business community together are taking giant steps toward growing the state's talent pipeline and future career opportunities.  To this end, the latest in a series of workforce audits highlights the earnings potential for Georgia graduates.  Specifically, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) has released a research report summarizing earnings information for graduates of Georgia's universities and technical colleges who have secured employment in the state. Earnings are recorded at two intervals: one year and five years after graduation.

Findings from the survey are shared on GOSA's new interactive site called the Georgia Higher Learning and Earnings (GHLE) dashboard. Site users may view information at will by sorting according to program of study/major, degree type and academic institution attended. 

“By 2020, more than 60 percent of job openings in Georgia will require some form of postsecondary education,” said Governor Nathan Deal. “To meet this demand, we are providing additional tools to help students seeking higher education make important decisions for their future. I am encouraged by the graduates of Georgia's technical colleges and universities who have chosen to work in the top state for business and are using their skills in Georgia's workforce.”

The Governor's efforts have been recognized by the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelED), a national leader in education reform.

“We commend Governor Nathan Deal for ensuring Georgia parents have the information they need to prepare their children for a successful future," said  ExcelED CEO Patricia Levesque. "Georgia Higher Learning and Earnings will serve as an effective tool for families when making major life decisions about college and career options.”

Some of the research highlights include:

• As students increase their level of education, their wages tend to increase. These differences become more pronounced as more time passes after graduation.
• Earnings vary dramatically by program of study and college.
• Within program of study and college, wages tend to increase after five years but at varying rates.
• Among the most popular programs of study, fields relating to medicine are consistently amongst the top earners relative to other popular degree categories.
• Business-related bachelor’s and master’s degrees have higher earnings relative to other popular programs of study.

In August 2016, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and partner Accenture released an in-depth analysis of the job market including specific information on which skills are most important to employers at varying degree levels.  The Your Talent, Your Future website also details which degrees and certificates employers say are most in demand today, as well as their expectations for the near future.

MAC will continue to work with GOSA and a coalition of other public, private and non-profit entities to integrate and align efforts so that Georgia students and future employers are best situated to optimize their goals.