Data Shows Wyoming Has Potential Gains from Removing College Requirements

by Wyoming Liberty Group

At a recent Wyoming Liberty Group event, several state legislators and government employees expressed interest in our Removing Barriers report, published earlier this year.

In that report, we noted that all 9 states which had issued an executive order or passed legislation between 2022 and 2024 removing degree requirements from government jobs saw at least an 8% increase in non-degree openings as a percentage of jobs. Wyoming's neighbors, Colorado, Idaho and Utah, experienced increased openings of 13%, 11% and 9% respectively. This data from the National Governors Association compared job openings between 2019 and 2024.

Maryland appears to be the only state that tracked the actual number of hires for a short time after the policy has been implemented. In March 2022, Governor Hogan signed an executive order removing the requirements. From May to August 2022, 14% more public sector employees were hired, buoyed by a 41% increase in non-degree-holding public sector hires, compared to the same period in 2021.

If Wyoming were to adopt a similar policy through legislative action or executive order, it would be hard to predict the size of the impact. But if the experiences of other states are any guide, there would be more person-to-job matches. Full-staffed government agencies often provide better, more predictable and timely services to Wyomingites. So long as these new employees are providing vital services to Wyomingites, there is no reason why this policy should not be adopted by the governor or (ideally) the legislature.