Exactly how many more bachelor’s degrees should the metro area be producing?

Late last week I posted about MnSCU officials' concerns that Metropolitan State University could not handle the demand for four-year degrees all by itself.

I asked MnSCU officials: So if Metropolitan State isn't producing enough, how many more should it be producing?

They didn't have any exact numbers.

So far, what they have provided are figures that point to need, even if they don't quantify it:

1) "By 2019, the metro area will experience a shortfall of 58,06 workers with vocational certificates, associate's or baccalaureate degrees, and this shortfall will grow over the decades ahead, unless we act." (From p. 3 of the original report)

2) 70% of students at two-year metro-area colleges say they would “very likely enroll” if “more bachelor’s degrees were provided by a university at this college campus or another location in the metro area.” (Bottom of the table on p.4 of the chart above.)

The pickle that MnSCU is in regarding Metro State and bachelor's degrees is interesting, but I really hope we can get some hard numbers on the scope of the problem.

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