Credential Supply vs. Local Labor Demand
Education, health, and business graduate large classes relative to mapped Utah jobs — supply and ROI are different policy questions.
Workforce policy often asks whether Utah produces enough graduates in key fields. Mapped completions suggest education (194 per 1,000 jobs), health (162), and business (57) graduate large classes relative to mapped local employment — a different question than credential ROI.
- Assumption
- Utah produces too few graduates in high-demand fields statewide.
- Question
- Where do Utah credential completions most exceed mapped local labor demand?
- Evidence
- IPEDS 2023–24 · BLS OEWS · 128,856 mapped completions
- Finding
- Education produces 19,184 credentials against 98,960 mapped jobs — 194 per 1,000. Strada rates Utah Advanced on employer alignment.
- Limits
- Occupation crosswalks are broad; ratios are not placement rates.
Source: Pathways & Outcomes analysis · IPEDS · BLS OEWS
Education leads at 194 graduates per 1,000 mapped jobs.
| Field | Graduates | Related jobs | Per 1k jobs | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 19,184 | 98,960 | 194 | N/A |
| Health professions | 26,015 | 160,770 | 162 | N/A |
| Computer and information sciences | 13,565 | 104,310 | 130 | N/A |
| Liberal arts and sciences | 18,960 | 253,340 | 75 | N/A |
| Engineering | 2,949 | 49,550 | 60 | N/A |
Supply vs. ROI
Labor-market alignment and financial return are different policy lenses.
| High graduates/job | Lower graduates/job | |
|---|---|---|
| Strong Strada ROI context | Health, computing | Business — large employment base |
| Alignment signal | Education (194/1k) | Engineering, precision production |
Updated 2026-06-29. Sources: IPEDS 2023–24 · BLS OEWS · Strada. Backlog P-9 · policymakers.
Pathways & Outcomes original analysis; cite the report and link to the primary URL. Data vintage: IPEDS 2023–24 · BLS OEWS Utah.
APA: Pathways and Outcomes. (2026). Credential Supply vs. Local Labor Demand. https://pathwaysandoutcomes.org/utah/research/credential-supply-vs-local-labor-demand/
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