Utah State University’s Utah Women & Leadership Project released new research examining women in the workplace across education levels, based on a statewide survey of more than 5,200 Utah residents. The findings show stronger perceptions of opportunity and workplace belonging among more educated respondents, while women continue to report advancement and equality gaps.
Key Takeaways
- Utah State University’s Utah Women & Leadership Project released a new workplace research brief on August 11, 2026.
- The analysis draws on a statewide survey of more than 5,200 Utah residents.
- Higher education was associated with stronger perceptions of workplace fairness, belonging and advancement opportunities.
- Education had a stronger effect on women’s workplace perceptions than on men’s.
- Highly educated women continued to report fewer advancement opportunities and lower trust in workplace responses to problems.
Utah State University’s Utah Women & Leadership Project released the workplace research brief on August 11, 2026. The analysis examines differences in workplace perceptions across education levels and considers how those differences appear among women and men.
The findings are based on a statewide survey of more than 5,200 Utah residents. The size of the survey provides the basis for examining workplace perceptions across different groups of respondents rather than focusing on individual experiences.
The research examines several workplace issues relevant to career development, including fairness, belonging, advancement opportunities and confidence. It also considers perceptions of workplace problems and organizational responses to those problems.
The results show an association between higher levels of education and more positive perceptions of several workplace conditions. Respondents with more education reported stronger perceptions of opportunity and workplace belonging.
The analysis also identified differences between women and men. According to the research, education had a stronger effect on women’s workplace perceptions than on men’s.
The findings therefore place education within an examination of workplace experiences. Higher educational attainment was associated with stronger perceptions in several areas, but the results did not indicate that education eliminated differences in workplace experiences for women.
Education Shapes Perceptions of Workplace Opportunity
The research found that respondents with higher levels of education were more likely to report positive perceptions of workplace conditions. These included perceptions of fairness, belonging and access to advancement opportunities.
The findings connect educational attainment with perceptions of the workplace rather than establishing that education directly causes better workplace outcomes. The research focuses on the relationship between education levels and how respondents view their professional environments.
For women, the relationship was particularly pronounced. The study found that education changed women’s perceptions more strongly than men’s.
Higher education was associated with stronger perceptions of workplace opportunity, but the findings also identified continuing differences in advancement experiences. Highly educated women reported fewer advancement opportunities than their male counterparts.
The combination of these findings provides a distinction between workplace perception and workplace access. Women with higher levels of education may report stronger confidence and more positive views in some areas while still experiencing differences in opportunities to advance.
Workplace belonging was another area examined in the research. More educated respondents reported stronger feelings of belonging, placing educational attainment among the factors associated with how people perceive their workplace environments.
The research also examined leadership confidence. Higher education was associated with stronger leadership aspirations and greater confidence, including among women.
These findings connect education with several aspects of professional development. At the same time, the reported differences in advancement opportunities indicate that educational attainment alone does not remove workplace disparities affecting women.
The findings also provide context for existing discussions about women’s career paths and professional development, including the varied routes women may take through executive positions, consulting, entrepreneurship, and other forms of work.
Women Report Continued Gaps in Career Advancement
The research found that highly educated women continued to report fewer advancement opportunities. This finding remained present even as higher education was associated with stronger workplace perceptions.
Career advancement is one of the areas in which the research identified differences between women and men. The findings indicate that education can be associated with greater confidence and stronger perceptions of workplace opportunity without producing equal advancement experiences.
The study also examined perceptions of workplace discrimination and harassment. Education produced stronger changes in women’s perceptions of these issues than in men’s perceptions.
Women with higher levels of education were more likely to recognize workplace challenges involving discrimination and harassment. The findings therefore connect educational attainment with greater awareness of workplace conditions as well as stronger perceptions in areas such as belonging and opportunity.
The research also considered trust in workplace systems. Highly educated women reported lower trust in how organizations respond to workplace problems.
That finding adds another distinction to the research. Women with higher educational attainment reported stronger perceptions in some workplace areas while expressing lower trust in organizational responses to problems.
The results do not establish that every woman experiences the same workplace conditions. Instead, the statewide survey identifies differences across education levels and between women and men.
The research places women’s career advancement within several workplace factors, including access to opportunities, organizational responses to problems and perceptions of fairness.
For women professionals, the findings provide data on the relationship between education and workplace experiences. The results also indicate that higher education does not correspond with identical advancement opportunities for women and men.
A separate examination of career progression among senior women executives has also described professional advancement as involving lateral moves, entrepreneurship, consulting and other paths rather than a single sequence of promotions.
Workplace Belonging and Leadership Confidence Vary by Education
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Workplace belonging was among the areas associated with higher educational attainment in the research. More educated respondents reported stronger feelings of belonging in their workplaces.
Leadership confidence also showed a relationship with education. The findings associated higher education with stronger leadership aspirations and greater confidence.
For women pursuing management or executive responsibilities, these findings distinguish between preparation for leadership and access to advancement. The research reports stronger leadership aspirations and confidence among more educated respondents while also identifying fewer advancement opportunities for highly educated women.
The research further examined family-friendly workplace policies. These policies formed part of the analysis of workplace conditions and perceptions across education levels.
The findings also addressed the gender pay gap, leadership development and entrepreneurship. STEM was another area included in the research, expanding the analysis beyond a single occupation or professional sector.
These subjects connect workplace experiences with several areas of women’s professional lives. Career advancement, leadership development, entrepreneurship and participation in STEM are all included in the research framework.
The findings do not establish that education produces the same workplace experience for every woman. Instead, the survey identifies associations between educational attainment and perceptions of workplace conditions while documenting continued differences in advancement opportunities.
The research also indicates that women’s responses can differ more sharply by education level than men’s responses. This distinction was part of the analysis of how educational attainment shapes perceptions of workplace issues.
Other coverage of women’s leadership has examined the responsibilities involved in moving from professional expertise into higher-impact strategic roles, including the distinction between operational execution and broader leadership responsibilities.
The results therefore provide separate measures for workplace confidence, belonging, opportunity and trust. Those measures do not move in exactly the same direction for women.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the new research say about women in the workplace?
The research found that higher education was associated with stronger perceptions of workplace fairness, belonging, opportunity and leadership confidence, while highly educated women continued to report fewer advancement opportunities and lower trust in workplace responses to problems.
How does education affect women’s career advancement?
The research found an association between higher education and stronger workplace perceptions and leadership confidence. It also found that highly educated women continued to report fewer advancement opportunities.
How many people participated in the Utah workplace survey?
The statewide research analysis is based on responses from more than 5,200 Utah residents.
Do highly educated women report workplace advancement gaps?
Yes. The research found that highly educated women continued to report fewer advancement opportunities despite stronger workplace perceptions associated with higher education.
What workplace policies does the research recommend?
The research recommends greater transparency in promotion pathways, investment in family-friendly policies, stronger organizational accountability and gender-responsive workplace strategies.
