Workforce Education in the Region

Why is this important?

Workforce education is one way of evaluating the preparedness and skill of workers in an area. Workforce education is a key piece of economic development. You'll see that the Madison Region ranks well above the national average in percentage of residents age 18-24 who have attained some college or associate degree, and above the national average in attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher.

Educational Data

The recent results from the 2006-2008 American Community Survey estimates that the region's adults over 25 are attaining even higher levels of education. Ninety percent have a High School Degree or higher compared to 84.5% in the U.S.


At the post-secondary level, 9.2% of adults have an Associates Degree and 31.2% have a Bachelors Degree or Higher compared to the U.S. at 29.2%.


In Dane County, where almost 50% of the region's population resides, 44.4% have a Bachelors Degree or higher and that increases to 51% for the City of Madison, the state capital and home of the Uinversity of Wisconsin-Madison.


The charts below provide the last official counts from the 2000 Census.
"Madison...ranks as the U.S. metropolitan area with the strongest brainpower, according to a recent Bizjournals study of the nation's 100 largest markets.
...
The payoff is evident in recent economic statistics. Madison's per capita income of $38,993 is 13 percent higher than the national average, while its 2007 year-end unemployment rate of 3.3 percent was far better than the nation's 5.0 percent."
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Highest Educational Attainment - Residents Ages 18-24
ColumbiaDaneDodgeGreenIowaJeffersonRockSaukMREDEWisconsinUSA
Less than high school graduate26.2%10.9%27.1%27.6%20.5%19.9%29.9%24.4%16.9%21.1%25.3%
High school graduate (incl. equivalency)40.2%17.9%40.6%36.5%41.7%37.0%33.7%38.2%25.3%28.9%28.6%
Some college or associate degree29.1%56.7%28.4%30.9%32.1%37.0%31.7%32.1%47.1%42.5%38.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher4.5%14.4%3.8%5.0%5.7%6.0%4.7%5.2%10.7%7.4%7.8%
 
Highest Educational Attainment - Residents Ages 25 and Older
ColumbiaDaneDodgeGreenIowaJeffersonRockSaukMREDEWisconsinUSA
Less than high school graduate13.8%7.8%17.7%15.9%11.5%15.3%16.1%16.5%12.1%14.9%19.6%
High school graduate (incl. equivalency)39.7%22.3%43.6%40.3%41.8%38.5%39.3%37.8%31.8%34.6%28.6%
Some College, no degree*21.7%20.3%18.4%19.5%19.9%21.3%21.3%21.0%20.5%20.6%21.0%
Associate Degree8.0%8.9%7.1%7.6%8.3%7.5%6.7%7.2%8.0%7.5%6.3%
Bachelor's Degree11.5%24.8%9.5%11.2%13.2%12.3%11.3%12.4%17.6%15.3%15.5%
Master's Degree3.6%9.9%2.5%3.5%3.8%3.5%3.8%3.7%6.4%4.8%5.9%
Doctorate0.4%2.9%0.3%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.4%0.4%1.6%0.8%1.0%
First Professional Degree1.2%3.0%0.9%1.6%1.0%1.1%1.2%1.1%2.0%1.6%2.0%
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 2000, Summary File-3, Table QT-P20