While a college degree doesn’t guarantee financial security, it’s becoming the clearest route to landing a high-paying job in many states.

A new report from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce analyzed which states and industries offer the greatest return on investment for college degrees. It found that a postsecondary education is increasingly essential to securing a middle-class lifestyle.

By 2031, more than 12.5 million jobs will require at least some form of college education, with roles like general and operations managers, registered nurses, software developers, and accountants among the largest openings. Researchers project that 72% of jobs will require postsecondary education, and 42% will require a bachelor’s degree.

“Postsecondary education and training have become the threshold requirement for access to middle-class status and earnings,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown CEW in a press release. “It is no longer the preferred pathway to middle-class jobs; it is increasingly the only pathway.”

Using Census Bureau data and labor projections, the report identified where jobs requiring a college degree are growing the fastest–and what that means for the future of the American workforce.

Here are the areas projected to have the largest share of jobs requiring a college degree by 2031. In each state, more than 70% of all jobs are expected to require a college degree:

1. Washington, D.C.

2. Minnesota

3. Massachusetts

4. Colorado

5. Washington

6. Nebraska

7. Virginia

8. Nevada

9. Utah

10. Vermont

11. Oregon

12. Hawaii

13. South Dakota

14. Iowa

15. Illinois

Where does Alabama fall on the list?

Alabama ranks 45th in the percentage of jobs that will require a postsecondary education by 2031, with an average of 252,000 job openings annually over the next six years.

When it comes to the labor market, Alabama reflects the same national trends. Jobs in healthcare, business and technology increasingly require a college degree.

According to the Alabama Department of Labor, fields like nursing, management and software development are among the fastest growing. Earning an advanced degree in these roles can lead to better job security and higher wages.

About 26.2% of Alabamians have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while the national average is 37.7% per 2023 Census Bureau data.

Efforts are underway to expand access to education and training through programs such as Alabama Industrial Development Training and AlabamaWorks.

Alabama Industrial Development Training is an agency aiming to expand access to training necessary for workers to grow their skills and acquire high-quality jobs.

AlabamaWorks is an initiative formed by the Alabama Workforce Council as an employer-led effort to understand and improve the workforce’s structure, function, and organization.