Kentucky’s public universities chalked up another win for workforce readiness
in 2018-19, surpassing a major milestone for bachelor’s degrees in high-demand
STEM+H fields – science, technology, engineering, math and health care.
The state’s strategic plan, “Stronger by Degrees,” called on
universities to produce at least 6,620 STEM+H degrees annually by the 2020-21
academic year. However, campuses have reached that goal two years early.
According to the latest progress report from the Kentucky Council on
Postsecondary Education (CPE), public universities awarded 6,685 such degrees
last year. That’s up 2% over 2017-18 and 31% over the past five years.
In addition to bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and credentials are also
on the rise.
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) increased output of
STEM+H degrees and credentials from 12,552 in 2017-18 to 13,155 last year, a
4.8% jump that moves KCTCS closer to its adjusted goal of 13,488. KCTCS met its
original goal in the 2016-17.
Kentucky has long sought to boost education and jobs in STEM+H fields.
In 2016, the state legislature directed CPE to develop a performance funding
model for campuses that ties public funding to achievement. That includes
incentives to grow the number of degrees and credentials that garner higher
salaries upon graduation, such as STEM+H degrees.
Proponents point to studies showing that a STEM+H degree provides a high rate
of return for both students and the state overall.
For instance, a recent CPE analysis found that, two years after graduation,
students with a bachelor’s degree in STEM will earn about $34,000 a year. A
bachelor’s degree in health care offers even more – around $50,000 annually.
Below is a breakdown of campuses with the gains in STEM+H degrees and
credentials in 2018-19.
