Higher Ed Utah

As Utah Valley University business professor Susan Madsen began her year-long research project examining why women in Utah enroll in higher education at a lower rate than their peers around the country, she realized that perhaps the first question ought to be, “Why should they enroll?”

                The answer, according to the Utah Women and Education Project’s first brief, released today, is that a college education has far-reaching implications into nearly every facet of life, benefiting not only the student, but society at large.

                “The conversations throughout the state seem to reveal that people are not recognizing the broad benefits of education,” according to one of the brief’s coauthors, Susan Thackeray.  “It is important that accurate information is available for everyone to see the bigger picture when it comes to the value of education.”

                And the broad view produces a convincing argument that higher education is literally a life-altering experience that has ramifications long after a diploma is issued. College-educated people smoke less, exercise more and enjoy a host of other health-related benefits. One study cited in the brief indicated that “each additional year of schooling past high school seems to prolong life by .4 percent, or nearly 2 percentage points upon graduation from college.”

                However, the benefits aren’t limited to health and well-being or even economic advantages. Studies cited in this research and policy brief show enormous increases in levels of community volunteerism, voting and social development. Studies also indicate college-educated women tend to have healthier babies and are more likely to see their own children attend an institution of higher education.

                “I think some people have thought about parenting and economic advantages, but civic engagement?” Madsen asked. “I’m not sure a lot of people have made that connection. Voting, volunteering, even giving blood; they all increase when women are college educated.”

                With such a widespread list of benefits, Madsen said there appears to be a communication disconnect between community leaders and educators and the young women they lead in Utah. The message is not getting across. In the Beehive State about 49 percent of enrolled college students are women, as opposed to 57 percent across the country. The two schools with the lowest percentages of female students are also the state’s largest public universities, UVU (43 percent) and the University of Utah (44 percent).

                The results from the next portion of the Utah Women in Education Project’s study will focus on some of the reasons behind the dearth of female college students and a closer look at detailed enrollment and graduation numbers in an attempt to understand how schools and universities can improve. In the meantime, she said, it’s important to realize that higher education is about a lot more than a bigger paycheck down the line.

                “We try to stress the words ‘develop your potential,’ because that’s what it’s all about,” Madsen said. “It’s not just about working. It’s about being all that you can be.”

                The full brief, The Value of Higher Education for Women in Utah, can be found at www.uvu.edu/wep.