Tulsa now ranks 14th in a national competition to increase degree attainment.
There are 57 metro areas participating in the CEO for Cities program, which will award $1 million to the one with the most growth from 2009 to 2013. Speaking at a local state of education event, Brian Paschal with the Tulsa Regional Chamber said a national program shows a double-digit increase in bachelor's and associates degrees.
"I'm happy to tell you that since tracking under Talent Dividend began in the 2009–2010 year, the number of degrees awarded by Tulsa-area colleges and universities has increased by 14.1 percent," Paschal said.
Those figures include 34 universities in the Tulsa metro area; however, they don't include OSU and OU's Tulsa campuses.
Paschal said there's a bigger picture than the $1 million prize.
"In Tulsa, even a 1 percent increase in overall college attainment would have an estimated economic impact of $646 million," he said.
Tulsa Community College awarded 382 more degrees last year and the University of Tulsa 86 more degrees than they did the year the tracking program began.
