Florida leaders in 2019 wisely set an ambitious but achievable goal for educational attainment. The Strengthening Alignment between Industry and Learning (SAIL) to 60 Initiative seeks to increase to 60 percent the percentage of working-age adults in this state with a high-value postsecondary certificate, degree, or training experience by 2030.
The enabling legislation and existing statute specifically identify the Florida College Access Network (FCAN) as a partner in the effort, and FCAN is at the heart of a movement to ensure all Floridians have the opportunity to achieve an education beyond high school and prosper in our dynamic economy.
FCAN, and many other organizations interested in attainment rates, post-secondary education, and workforce development, look to the Stronger Nation report published annually by the Lumina Foundation to track rates of educational attainment for the population age 25-64. Lumina’s research team analyzes American Community Survey(ACS) data in conjunction with estimates of credential and certificate attainment published by the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce to create an overall post-secondary attainment rate for the working age cohort. The current report, referencing 2022 data, shows 54.5% of working-age Floridians with a degree or credential/certificate.
While we await the Georgetown credential and certificate estimates, and ultimately the release of the latest Stronger Nation report in early 2025, we do note the ACS estimates of degree attainment (associates degrees or higher) for Floridians aged 25-64 grew from 46.2% (2022) to 46.8% (2023). If the estimate of certificate and credential attainment remains at the previously reported value of 8.3%, Florida’s progress toward its SAIL to 60 goal will stand at 55.1%.
However, diving more deeply into the ACS data we note that while degree attainment has increased for most demographics over the past 5 years, notable gaps in degree attainment among the working age population are observable.
Between 2018 and 2023, degree attainment increased for respondents identifying as Asian (+6.3%), White, (+7.3%), Hispanic (+4.3%) and Black (+3.8%).1
The only group among Florida’s largest demographics in the age cohort to exhibit a decline in degree attainment from 2022 to 2023 are persons identifying as Black. Degree attainment within this demographic fell from 35.1% to 34.7%. Additionally, this group was the only among those analyzed to have a decline in the overall number of degreed individuals, attributable to either incoming members of the cohort (25 year olds) being fewer in number than exiting members (the previous year’s 64 year olds) to have a degree, net migration factors (more Black people with degrees leaving the state versus moving to the state) or some combination thereof.
Substantial attainment gaps between demographic groups and the total population exist in this latest data:
- Black: -12.1%
- Hispanic: -4.8%
- Two or More Races: -1.7%
- White: +4.3%
- Asian: +21.9%
While Florida is making progress on its 2030 goal of 60% degree or workforce credential attainment, efforts must be bolstered to ensure that opportunity is accessible by all and that every Floridian achieves an education beyond high school and a rewarding career.
1 Note that race and ethnicity are separate concepts and not exclusive, i.e. persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race and persons identifying as a certain race may be Hispanic or non-Hispanic.