Education
The Gardner Policy Institute employs a senior education analyst and a team of demographers and economists knowledgeable about Utah’s education policies and economy. We also benefit from an Education Advisory Council that guides our research agenda and supports the development of an education policy practice area. Our focus includes K-12 and higher education research, analysis, and reporting related to education policies, Utah demographics, public finance, and the economy.
Utah’s Regional Universities: Definition, Benefits, and Reach
Regional universities offer a wide range of open admissions programs, including academic, career, and technical education, undergraduate associate and baccalaureate programs, and select graduate programs.
Utah/Federal Government Nexus Data Summary: Research Funding in Utah
Utah received $4.4 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding in FY 2023. About 80% of this amount went to private businesses, 10% to higher education, and 9% to federal agencies within the state.
Public Policy Lessons From the Michael O. Leavitt Administration: Public Education
Public education underpins Utah’s economic prosperity. Utah will benefit if state leaders coordinate statewide efforts to address teacher burnout, invest in early learning, and support schools in promising modernization practices.
The Benefits of Higher Education to Utah
Education and training help Utahns earn more income, secure more stable employment, achieve greater upward mobility, participate less in public assistance programs, and garner other positive individual and societal benefits.
Navigating Utah’s Demographic Dip: Strategically Positioning Utah Higher Education Amid College-age Population Declines
Pending college-age population declines provide opportunities for state and institutional policymakers to strategically transform, conserve, and realign.
Decoding the Income Tax Earmark: Proposed Changes to Utah’s Constitution
On the November 2024 ballot, voters will decide whether or not to amend the Utah Constitution to allow the use of income tax revenue for any public function, contingent on maintaining certain school funding provisions.
Utah’s Research Universities: Definition, Benefits, and Reach
Utah features two prominent research universities: the University of Utah, the state’s flagship university, and Utah State University, the state’s land-grant university. Research universities provide academic programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, emphasizing teaching, research, and outreach.
Economic Development Case Study: Utah’s Engineering and Computer Science Initiative
Utah has realized the following outcomes and benefits since the launch of Utah's engineering and computer science initiative more than two decades ago.
Policy Brief: The Value of Higher Education
Utah’s degree-granting institutions also train Utah’s workforce, generate significant economic contributions as major employers in the communities they serve, and create discoveries that improve life quality.
K-12 Teacher Shortages, Retention, and Salaries in Utah
While Utah’s teacher shortage, retention, and salary outcomes rank favorably among states, some data show potential warning signs.