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2026 State of Education and Talent Report

November 12, 2026

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Education Report: With ‘House on Fire,’ Michigan Needs to Unite Around a Long-Term Education Strategy

Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber released its seventh annual State of Education and Talent report. It is part of the Chamber’s continued effort to drive the “Michigan, Our House is on Fire” statewide conversation, which highlights educational achievement shortfalls and trends that threaten the talent pipeline and future availability of a highly skilled workforce.

sandy baruah

“Despite success in partnering with Governor Gretchen Whitmer to improve access to, and affordability of, postsecondary education, we continue to lag in both K-12 success and postsecondary attainment compared to our regional and national peers. As we release this report, the Chamber is committed to working with Governor-Elect Jocelyn Benson to build on the success in postsecondary affordability and connect it to K-12 reforms that put Michigan on track toward educational achievement and success.”

– Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Education Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber

Michigan Ranks Near the Bottom Nationally on Many Education Metrics

44th — Fourth-grade reading proficiency (16th in 1998, 44th in 2024)

34th — Fourth-grade math proficiency (10th in 2000, 34th in 2024)

39th — Chronic absenteeism

49th — School counselor ratio

44th — High school graduation rate

26th — College enrollment rate

37th — Postsecondary attainment (population with a postsecondary credential

The Chamber’s website HouseOnFireMI.com, continues to highlight Michigan’s near-bottom performance on key economic and education metrics, including its drop from 18th to 40th in per capita income since 2000.

Greg Handel

“Michigan’s future prosperity depends on becoming a better-educated state. While we are pleased with recent bipartisan support to increase educational attainment, Michigan must move with a far greater sense of urgency to improve educational outcomes. In a politically competitive state, that requires a long-term commitment that can endure polarization, shifts in power, and each election cycle — not be reset by them.”

– Greg Handel, Chief Education and Talent Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber

In 2015, the Chamber set the goal of achieving 60% educational attainment by 2030, which the state of Michigan adopted in 2019 under Gov. Whitmer. Progress toward 60% by 2030 under Gov. Whitmer includes creating successful programs such as Michigan Reconnect, Michigan Achievement Scholarship, and the Michigan Community College Guarantee, which collectively put more Michiganians on a path to earning a credential or college degree after high school.

KEY DETROIT REGION EDUCATIONAL METRICS OR TRENDS

  • For every 100 ninth graders across the Detroit Region, only 33 earn a postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation.
  • College enrollment rates for Detroit Region students have declined 10 percentage points, from 73% in 2015 to 63% in 2024, and over the past decade, the share of high school graduates who do not enroll in college has increased from 28% to 37% in the Detroit Region and from 41% to 54% in the City of Detroit.
  • Higher graduation rates are not enough to offset declining enrollment. Despite the Detroit Region’s six-year graduation rate increasing from 55% to 59%, the number of college graduates is projected to decline from 18,600 to 17,400.
  • Demographic shifts are shrinking the Detroit Region’s future talent pipeline. The population under age 24 is projected to decline by more than 20% by 2050, while the number of high school graduates has already fallen 12% since 2008.

“These numbers have dire consequences for employers over the long haul in the Detroit Region and across the state,” said Handel. “If there are fewer people enrolling in college, there will be fewer people at the end of the pipeline to fill high-tech, knowledge-economy jobs.”