Kentucky's 60x30 Goal

Why it matters

Of all jobs in Kentucky, 63% (1,302,000 jobs) will require some postsecondary training beyond high school in 2031. However, less than half of the state's population have a certificate or degree. To meet this growing need for more highly educated citizens, the Council set the ambitious goal of 60% of the population with a postsecondary credential by 2030.

Kentucky's current levels of attainment

The percentage of working-age Kentuckians with a postsecondary certificate or degree has risen to 56.2 percent. This figure is up 1.1 percentage points over the previous year and 5.9 points over the last five years. 

CPE's attainment analysis is based on the proportion of Kentucky adults (ages 25-64) who have earned a postsecondary degree (at the associate, bachelor’s or graduate level) or a short-term certificate or industry certification.

For comparison, 9.2% of Americans have an associate degree, 23.4 percent have a bachelor’s degree and 14.5 percent have a graduate or professional degree, according to Lumina Foundation, a national education nonprofit. Comparable data for certificates/certifications is not available because Kentucky employs a different methodology than Lumina.

Kentucky compared to the nation

The Commonwealth was one of ten states that saw a six percentage point gain in residents with a postsecondary degree or credential, surpassed only by South Dakota, Delaware and Washington, D.C., which saw gains greater than six points.

Kentucky's progress with degrees and credentials

Kentucky's attainment success is attributable increases in degree and credential production. The Commonwealth has experienced a 36% growth over the decade in unduplicated degrees and credentials, meaning the growth in the number of students receiving credentials rather than the number of credentials themselves. Much of this growth is due to increases in awards of undergraduate certificates and graduate-level credentials.

Strategic agenda focus

In 2016, set the attainment goal into its strategic agenda, Stronger by Degrees, which identified high-level objectives, strategies, and metrics to improve college readiness, enrollment and student success.

While Kentucky was making significant progress, that progress was not seen across all populations. Residents who are classified as low income or underrepresented minorities experience severe achievement gaps affecting attainment rates.

In 2022, CPE unveiled Higher Education Matters: A Statewide Strategic Agenda for Kentucky Postsecondary Education to serve as a blueprint for meeting the goal with equity in mind. All strategies in the agenda must ensure at-risk students are provided access to postsecondary credentials, as well as the academic, social and emotional supports to succeed.

For more information about state priorities and the contributions/successes of Kentucky's public institutions toward educational attainment progress, view CPE's latest Progress Report.