The Challenge for California:
Education Gap Threatens Competitive Advantage
California has had a long record of strong economic performance, with a history of successful companies and high-paying jobs. However, there are signs that California, too, is losing its comparative advantage:
- Its overall production of bachelor's degrees relative to the population aged 18-29 is among the lowest in the country (despite successful graduation rates at the University of California).
- California public school students continue to score low in math and science relative to students around the rest of the nation.
- California has 16 percent of the nation's high-tech jobs but produces only 9 percent of the corresponding science and engineering degrees.
And the respected UCLA Anderson Forecast has pointed out an "education gap" in California relative to the rest of the United States, reporting that college completion rates have increased faster in other parts of the nation than in California over the last 20 years.
What other issues should we consider?