2026 State Opportunity Index by Strada Education Foundation Highlights States’ Progress on College Affordability, Offers Roadmap to Stronger College-to-Career Pathways

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- States are making important progress on key markers of college affordability and value, from creating lower-cost and accelerated pathways to bachelor’s degrees to strengthening paid internships, according to new findings released today in the annual State Opportunity Index prepared by Strada Education Foundation.

Now in its third year, the Index uses a research-based framework to measure how effectively all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., are connecting postsecondary education to career opportunity. New in the 2026 Index is a “Pathways to Progress” section, which highlights how states are taking concrete steps to improve the transition from postsecondary education to employment across five focus areas: Clear Outcomes, Quality Coaching, Affordability, Work-Based Learning, and Employer Alignment.

Among the top findings in the 2026 Index:

• Nationally, 70 percent of recent public college graduates are estimated to experience a positive return on their investment in college within 10 years of graduation, a figure similar to the previous year. The figure is 73 percent for graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees and 60 percent for associate degree earners. In eight states, at least 75 percent of bachelor’s degree earners experience a positive ROI within 10 years: California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington.

• States are showing that it is possible for students to succeed without being overburdened by debt through a variety of state-led affordability strategies. At the bachelor’s degree level, progress has come through improved rates of on-time completion in eight states, reductions in the number of hours a student needs to work to cover the average net price in 13 states, and reductions in the hours of work needed for low-income students in 10 states.

• The largest on-time graduation rate gains were in Utah (from 28 percent to 37 percent), Hawaii (from 34 percent to 41 percent), and Rhode Island (from 47 percent to 52 percent). Delaware still has the highest on-time completion rate at 65 percent, followed by Florida and Vermont at 60 percent, New Hampshire at 59 percent, and Virginia at 57 percent. Still, in most states, fewer than half of students complete a bachelor’s degree in four years.

• Forty-three percent of graduating seniors at the nation’s public bachelor’s degree institutions report having had at least one of five immersive paid work-based learning experiences: internship, co-op, practicum or student teaching, undergraduate research, or apprenticeship. The percentage was consistent with the year prior. In the strongest states – Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia – the majority of seniors report participation in paid work-based learning.

The Index provides a summary for each state, with state-level data that help leaders identify priorities, track progress where comparable data are available, and learn from successful practices and models in states throughout the country. The web-based version of the report features an interactive map that provides access to state and national data from 2024-2026. The map also allows users to compare state data where available and explore progress made over time.

Education and industry leaders from dozens of U.S. states will gather Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C., for a daylong event where they will explore the findings in the Index and learn from one another about how states are connecting education after high school with economic opportunity.

Learn more about the State Opportunity Index at strada.org.

Strada Education Foundation is a national nonprofit foundation that supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between postsecondary education and opportunity in the U.S., with a focus on helping people who face the greatest challenges. We advance this mission through research, grantmaking, impact investments, and public policy solutions. We engage education providers, employers, communities, policymakers, and a variety of collaborators, including funders and state, regional, and national organizations. Working alongside our partners, we are aiming for a triple win: better results for learners, more agile education and workforce systems, and stronger, more resilient economies.

Amber Denney
Strada Education Foundation
amber.denney@strada.org