The good news is that 13.8 million young, college-educated workers are expected to enter the U.S. workforce in the next seven years. The bad news is that approximately 18.4 million workers will retire during that same time period, according to a 2025 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. That gap could create a skills shortage, when the supply of qualified workers does not meet employers’ demand.
The report predicts the economy will need 5.25 million more qualified workers with education and training beyond high school. Without that, shortages in 171 occupations could persist through 2032.
Most of the projected gaps involve jobs requiring a bachelor’s or advanced degree, including managers, teachers, nurses, accountants, engineers, attorneys and physicians. The report also listed occupations in jeopardy that do not require a college degree, such as sales workers, truck drivers and construction workers.
Each year, more than 500,000 high-achieving high school students do not go on to earn a college degree. Another 36.8 million Americans have started college but never completed a degree or credential.
How Immaculata is Addressing the Skills Gap
The Georgetown report suggests ways that higher education can address the skills shortage by making education more affordable, offering alternative credential pathways, encouraging partnerships between postsecondary institutions and employers and using technology to improve worker productivity.
Immaculata University, like many higher education institutions, is addressing ways to support students from application to graduation.
Affordable Education
A private, four-year college education does not have to come with a high price tag. Immaculata’s tuition for undergraduate and graduate degrees is among the lowest in the region, and more than 98% of students receive financial aid. The average first-time, full-time freshman award is $13,000. Merit- and need-based financial aid are available for students who qualify.
An Immaculata student meets with his academic advisor.
The University also offers accelerated academic tracks, including 3+1 and 3+2 programs that allow students to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in less time and at a lower cost. A Degree-in-Three option allows undergraduates to study year-round to complete their bachelor’s degree early.
Adult learners returning to college to earn an undergraduate degree can take advantage of Immaculata’s Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, which awards academic credit for professional or life experience deemed equivalent to college-level work. At $10 per credit, the CPL program is among the most affordable in the nation.
Additionally, students who are parents can take advantage of the Parent Pathways Scholarship, which provides funding to undergraduate students with dependent children.
Alternative Credentials
To address shortages in fields such as teaching and nursing, Immaculata offers multiple credential pathways. Nursing students can pursue certifications in administration, family nurse practitioner, education and health care management. Educators can expand their careers with certifications in PK-12 principal, special education, reading specialist and secondary education. The University also offers graduate-level supervisor certifications in curriculum and instruction, pupil personnel services, single subject and special education.
Endorsements are also available for working professionals in instruction, mathematics, STEM and social, emotional and behavioral wellness for PK-12. Graduate students may also pursue certificates in addiction studies or strategic leadership.
University Partnerships and Career Pathways
To offer the most diverse and innovative graduate programs, Immaculata partners with 15 colleges and universities to create graduate pathways, allowing students to earn undergraduate degrees from Immaculata before transferring to complete advanced degrees on other campuses. These programs often reduce both tuition costs and time to completion.
For professionals working in various fields, Immaculata partners with local agencies, hospitals and businesses to offer discounted tuition for employees pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. Partners include the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the YMCA and the Chester and Delaware counties fraternal orders of police.
One area that has the potential to tackle the impending skills gap head-on is Immaculata’s partnership with 29 area high schools to offer dual enrollment courses for $125 per credit. The program lets students meet high school requirements while earning college credit that is typically transferable to other accredited institutions. The classes also offer students something less tangible: confidence that they can handle college work.
With strong demand, Immaculata plans to expand dual enrollment opportunities to reach more students who may not be aware of the benefits of the program — especially those from underserved communities.
Technology and Workforce Productivity
There is no way around the topic of artificial intelligence, which has the potential to both expand and eliminate jobs. The Georgetown report noted that, “The adoption of generative AI could similarly enable workers with minimal training to contribute more effectively—but it could also intensify the need for education and training if work done by humans becomes less routine and more complex.”
Students take advantage of Immaculata’s learning support services.
Researchers expect employees with college degrees to have an advantage if they can use AI to complete routine tasks and focus on higher-level issues.
Immaculata faculty are preparing students to meet that challenge. The University is among the first in the nation to integrate Magic School, an AI-powered platform, into its undergraduate teacher preparation programs. The tool supports lesson planning, differentiation and classroom communication.
This early exposure gives Immaculata students a distinct advantage as they enter the workforce equipped with hands-on experience using a tool that many practicing educators are only beginning to explore.
The Road Ahead
The skills gap has no single cause — and no single solution. Without action, experts warn, the long-term impact on the U.S. economy could be severe.
The Georgetown report projects that 72% of jobs in 2031 will require at least some post-secondary education or training. At the same time, fewer young people are pursuing a college degree. A 2024 Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey found that in 2018, 73% of high school students expected to attend college. By 2024, the number had fallen to 45%.
The report further stated, “While many young men with a high school diploma or less can potentially find jobs in the blue-collar economy, their chances of reaching the middle class are lower without postsecondary education and training.”
Colleges and universities will need to work together to change perceptions of higher education. Incremental steps, such as the ones Immaculata University is undertaking, can help address local workforce needs. The value of a college degree can help Americans secure meaningful careers, strengthen the middle class and ensure the nation remains competitive in a rapidly changing global economy.