Individuals who received baccalaureate degrees from Florida universities secure jobs in the Florida workforce and experienced wage growth over time. Over time, the median wage of graduates with degrees that tend to lead to specific occupations, such as teaching or nursing, was less than the median wage of graduates with degrees, such as social science or business that lead to a variety of occupations. Baccalaureate degree holders also earned more over time than Associate of Science degree holders, even though most Associate of Science degrees led to high-wage health care occupations.Universities' ability to increase the number of graduates with degrees that meet critical workforce needs is constrained by several factors:

• limited demand - due to market conditions or personal interests, students are not attracted to some fields of study;
• inadequate preparedness - students are often not academically prepared to take the advanced math or science courses required for some degrees;
• limited access - universities' ability to expand programs is limited by licensure or accreditation standards and shortages of qualified instructors; and
• high costs - degrees in technical fields cost more to provide due to higher faculty salaries, expensive laboratory equipment, and lower student/faculty ratios.

As these factors affect different degree fields in varying ways, different strategies are needed for increasing graduates with degrees in these areas.