2025 State of Education and Talent: Addressing Educational Attainment and Affordability to Drive Economic Prosperity

• Michigan’s Economic Standing Is Linked to Educational Attainment: Michigan’s drop to 40th in the nation for per capita income highlights a pressing need to improve educational achievement to drive economic prosperity. 
• Misconceptions About College Costs Affect Decisions: Both students and parents often overestimate the cost of higher education, which can discourage enrollment. In reality, many Michigan institutions offer significant financial aid and affordable pathways, with average actual costs lower than commonly believed. 
• Collaborative Programs Increase Accessibility and Workforce Readiness: Institutional partnerships, transfer pathways, and career-focused programs are making college more accessible and affordable while providing students with hands-on experience and clear routes to high-demand careers. 

To hear more insights from the panelists and speakers, watch the full recording of the 2025 State of Education and Talent below. 

Peter Quigley, Strategic Advisor and Board Member of Kelly and Chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors and CEO Talent Council, delivered sobering remarks during the Chamber’s 2025 State of Education and Talent event: “Michigan has fallen to its lowest ever ranking in per capita income. We now rank 40th in the nation, a dramatic decline from 18th at the turn of the century.”  

This statistic served as the headline of the Chamber’s sixth State of Education and Talent report, released during the event. The report dives into Michigan’s educational attainment and examines its influence on the state’s economic prosperity.  

In addition to Quigley, the event featured the Chamber’s Chief Education and Talent Officer, Greg Handel, Glengariff Group’s Founder Richard Czuba, and a panel of regional leaders moderated by Michigan Public Political Director Zoe Clark, including:

Perspectives on Higher Education: Insights From Students and Parents 

Following Quigley, Czuba highlighted several recurring themes in the views of Michigan’s students and parents regarding higher education.  

For students, the issues of cost and the fear of making a mistake stand out as major concerns. 

“It’s not about a reduction in cost based on income to them. It’s winning scholarships,” he said. “They are equally concerned with making a mistake. They are worried that they are going to pick the wrong school or the wrong major and come out of this process with no job prospects.” 

Parents also share apprehensions about the cost, and they play a significant role in influencing their children’s decisions. This is cause for concern, given that, according to Czuba’s College Survey, only 14% of parents think you can get a four-year degree for under $50,000, and 66% of parents with some college education believe their children would graduate with more than $20,000 in debt. 

“Parents are the influencers, but students and parents are wildly overestimating the cost of college,” Czuba said. “They are wildly overexaggerating those costs based on the horror stories they’re hearing … and that’s a key challenge.” 

Dispelling Myths: The Low- or No-Cost of Higher Education 

On the lack of understanding the true cost of higher education, Hirsch Pescovitz said that while it is true that there is a problem of access and affordability at certain universities, “that is not true for the institutions that we have in our state, where the average actual cost is really less than $13,000.” 

She used Oakland University (OU) as an example, sharing that more than 50% of its students have no tuition, and 60% graduate without debt. For those who graduate with debt, the average is less than $23,000, and many can pay it back within 19 months due to finding high-paying roles after graduation. 

“The return on investment is simply unequivocal, unquestionable,” she said. 

Transfer Pathways and Institutional Collaborations 

The panelists discussed the ways that institutions are making college more accessible and affordable for students across the state. One way Provenzano cited is transfer-friendly universities partnering with each other, with Oakland Community College (OCC) being Michigan’s largest transfer institution. He said the impact of OCC and OU’s partnership has made itself known by increasing enrollment rates.  

“We have a great partnership at OCC with OU,” Provenzano said. “And together, we’re working to really drive the cost of education down because that’s one of the reasons why community colleges were created decades ago.” 

The two institutions are also addressing housing barriers by providing OCC students with the opportunity to stay in OU’s campus dorms. This arrangement exposes community college students to the environment of a four-year institution and helps guide their decision to pursue further education after completing their two-year degree. Hirsch Pescovitz noted that this experience often motivates students to continue their academic journey through transfer programs. 

“People are choosing those transfer pathways by the thousands, and it’s working,” Provenzano said. 

Career Pathway Programs and Workforce Partnerships 

Susko highlighted the impact of career pathway programs on increasing enrollment rates as well, particularly for students who previously faced the dilemma of choosing between work and study. Henry Ford Health has implemented several initiatives, including: 

• A partnership with Michigan State University for Michigan’s first apprenticeship program for Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. 
• Individual development opportunities through college partnerships for degrees in surgical technology and other advanced fields 
• Mentorship and internship programs that provide high school students with early exposure to health care careers 

“It’s been a strategy that’s demonstrated success in the last couple of years, and one that we’re leaning into heavily,” Susko said.