“Virginia residents are more educated than ever before. According to new data from the Lumina Foundation, 59% of the state’s working-age adults have earned a college degree, certificate or credential.

The statistic, which comes from 2021, represents a 2-percentage-point increase since Lumina’s last survey. The increase occurred despite a drop in the total number of college students in the state. Though enrollment is down, the number of students staying in college and graduating is up.

Virginia is known for its colleges, but the state has struggled to keep students here after they graduate. According to a SCHEV study of public colleges in Virginia, 74% of in-state students and 20% of out-of-state students stayed here after graduation.

'Virginia needs to continue to pursue efforts to expand educational opportunity to more Virginians and to attract people with education and skills to the Commonwealth,' said Peter Blake, director of SCHEV,'" reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Photo: VCU graduates-to-be march during a commencement ceremony at Richmond Convention Center in Richmond on Saturday, May 14, 2022. DANIEL SANGJIB MIN, TIMES-DISPATCH