How Colorado Ranks in Economic Competitiveness
One of Colorado’s most valuable assets is the highly educated workforce that resides here. The state rates second for the percent of adults with a college degree with 45.9 percent of adults holding a 4-year degree or more. Colorado is home to many emerging industries, quantum computing for one, and has the talent to attract fast-growing companies to the region.
Developing the next generation of leaders in Colorado requires collaboration between the public and private sectors. Their ongoing partnerships make Colorado an ideal place to start or grow a business. Colorado already has a solid foundation in high growth industries and attracts investments from all over the country to fund revolutionary technology.
Data on high-tech industries:
#4 – High-tech employment per 1,000 private sector workers (CompTIA).
#10 – Patents granted per 1,000 residents (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 2020).
#12 – Academic R&D, based on total science and engineering research and development spending at academic institutions per capita. (National Science Foundation, 2021)
#22 – R&D Intensity, representing total research and development expenditures as a percentage of state GDP. Colorado’s research and development expenditures grew by 4.9 percent between 2020 and 2021, but state GDP grew by 12.4 percent, causing Colorado to drop in the rankings. (National Science Foundation, 2021)
