Many voices are calling for an increase in the proportion of individuals in the country who have a college credential. President Obama's goal for the United States is to have the world's highest proportion of college graduates by 2020. In Minnesota, Dane Smith of the think tank Growth and Justice suggests an "end-of-decade breathtakingly bold goal" of a 50 percent attainment increase. The Lumina Foundation advocates for increasing the percentage of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials from the current 40 percent to 60 percent by the year 2025. The leader now is Canada with 48 percent of its population aged 25 and older holding a college credential.

In the United States, the proportion of people with a college credential has been stagnant for years. While still a leader among 55 to 64-year-olds, several other countries have surpassed our 25 to 34-year-olds in college attainment rates.

Source: Minnesota Private College Research Foundation analysis of data from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Census Bureau.

The United States Census estimates that Minnesota has 2.7 million people aged 25-64. To achieve Lumina's 60 percent goal, 1.6 million would need to earn a college credential. Currently, the number of Minnesotans in this age group with an associate's degree or higher is 1.2 million or 45 percent — 425,000 credentials short. However, the same data indicate that more than 648,000 or 23 percent of Minnesotans aged 25-64 have completed some college without earning a degree. The Lumina Foundation suggests that improving success rates among this group could lead to rapid progress. Another 890,000 have never attended college. Increasing education opportunities for veterans, immigrants and other high-priority populations - as well as increasing participation, retention and graduation of new high school graduates — could also pay dividends.

A comparison of regional to international data shows that Minnesota is well-positioned. Our college attainment rate ranks slightly above the United States and is top in the Midwest region.

Perhaps as Growth and Justice's Smith suggests, we need to hear our state's leaders — and would-be governors — address this goal setting and what it would take to get there.