Every Coloradan should have the opportunity to earn economic mobility through strong schools and clear pathways to good jobs. Colorado has long recognized this, investing in postsecondary education and workforce training that help residents build the skills our economy demands. Those investments reflect a core belief widely shared across the state: a well-educated, well-trained workforce is essential to Colorado’s long-term prosperity and competitiveness.

But access and spending alone are not enough. Taxpayers, students, and employers deserve postsecondary programs that deliver real value. For Colorado to fully realize the benefit of its postsecondary investments, education and training pathways must reliably lead to strong outcomes for students and meet the needs of Colorado businesses and communities.

Today, that promise is not always being fulfilled. Too many students leave programs without completing, while others finish programs that do not lead to family-sustaining wages or require debt their earnings cannot justify. These gaps are especially troubling in fields where Colorado faces urgent workforce shortages. When programs fail to deliver economic mobility, public confidence erodes and taxpayers rightly question the return on investment.

At the same time, Colorado continues to face a persistent skills gap: employers have good jobs ready, but too few workers have the training required to fill them. Closing this gap is essential to maintaining our state’s economic strength and ensuring Colorado can compete nationally.

Meeting this challenge requires shared responsibility and accountability. Colorado should continue investing in higher education, and in return, our colleges and universities must ensure the programs that they offer deliver measurable value. Colorado’s higher education institutions have long been engines of innovation and opportunity, strengthening both local communities and the statewide economy. For many students, a four-year degree remains one of the most reliable paths to higher lifetime earnings, economic security, and upward mobility—but even strong programs must continue evolving to meet today’s workforce needs.

By expanding high-value programs, ensuring transparent information about outcomes, and supporting students in accessing training training that leads to in-demand, high-wage careers, we can strengthen both individual prosperity and the state’s long-term economic resilience.

This report highlights promising, high-value pathways to economic mobility and offers ideas for how Colorado’s education and workforce systems can better align to support students, strengthen employers, and ensure communities across the state benefit from Colorado’s economic growth.