Ask almost any student today their goal in pursuing a degree, and you’ll likely hear the same answer: They want to land a good job with good pay.
The latest Gallup–Lumina Foundation survey confirms this, with nearly nine in ten students
confident their degree will provide job-related skills and most believing it will lead to meaningful work and a comfortable life. Even adults without degrees agree, with 89% believing a degree or credential holds value.
In New Jersey, this economic benefit of a degree is real. Bachelor’s degree holders in the state earn 68% more than high school graduates and $2 million more in lifetime earnings. Associate degree holders can expect $1 million more. Even after factoring in tuition costs, every level of postsecondary education delivers a positive return for individuals, employers, and the State. What’s more, by 2031, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce projects that 85% of “good jobs” will require education beyond high school.
But the path to preparing residents for the workforce isn’t simple. After this year, the number of high school graduates will start to shrink. Likewise, the skills needed to succeed are rapidly evolving. And, unlike many states, New Jersey does not have a central higher education system. That’s why statewide coordination through the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) and our role aligning institutions, partners, and policies around shared goals matters, now more than ever.
Here are eight ways our work is keeping students and New Jersey’s economy on track:
1. Reengaging adults who left college: Through targeted outreach and support, New Jersey has helped over 12,000 stopped-out learners re-enroll and unlocked a projected $159 million in tuition for institutions and $112 million in economic activity in graduates’ first year after completion.
2. Delivering mental health support at scale: Free, 24/7 online therapy is now available to students enrolled in colleges across the state. Students have scheduled over 90,000 sessions and collectively saved millions in out-of-pocket costs — breaking down a major barrier to persistence and success.
3. Expanding wraparound supports: Programs such as the Educational Opportunity Fund ensure first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students have access to tutoring, mentoring, and financial aid that meets real needs. With a funding boost and new efficiencies, EOF is serving over 3,000 more students under the Murphy Administration.
4. Building local talent pipelines: The Career Accelerator Internship Grant Program has
created over 1,600 paid internships for students over the past four years. Each summer, roughly 130 New Jersey employers connect students to industries where the state needs talent.
5. Scaling what works: OSHE convenes campuses to share best practices and evidence-
based strategies, from advising reforms and student success programs to financial risk
mitigation, so opportunities for progress and innovation aren’t siloed.
6. Putting students at the center: The future of higher education lies in serving the students who represent tomorrow’s population: first-generation learners, adults returning for reskilling, and those from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds. OSHE is helping campuses remove barriers, expand wraparound supports, and strengthen pathways that help residents navigate higher education more seamlessly.
7. Using data to drive impact: By integrating data from institutions with other education and workforce sources, OSHE together with the New Jersey Statewide Data System, is evaluating the impact of programs and using those insights to guide policy, funding, and partnerships.
8. Strengthening the statewide return on investment: Every coordinated investment or statewide policy framework creates ripple effects — for students, campuses, employers, and communities. Statewide coordination by OSHE seeks to avoid duplication and focus resources to multiply our collective impact on both student success and economic growth.
Great work is already underway to capitalize on AI and technological innovations, to foster New Jersey as a cultural hub, and more. To leverage the momentum of the Murphy Administration, business and industry must join OSHE and our higher education partners in driving the next phase for statewide higher education. Just as we’ve tackled pressing issues with our colleges and universities, we’re ready to do the same with our workforce partners.
Students today are clear: They want good degrees that lead to good jobs with good pay. New Jersey has the talent, institutions, and employers to deliver.
What we do next — and, more importantly, how we do it together — will determine whether we continue to fulfill that promise.
Brian Bridges is the state of New Jersey’s third Secretary of Higher Education, appointed by
Gov. Phil Murphy in November 2020.
