The Milken Institute today released its 2010 State Science and Technology Index. Washington fell to 6th from the 5th place it held in the 2008 Milken rankings, while Utah moved up to 5th from 8th. Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado and California retained the top four spots. The report notes:

Washington slipped to sixth overall this year with its score sliding from 72.09 in 2008 to 70.23. The state recorded an impressive third place in technology concentration and dynamism, fourth in technology science workforce, and sixth in R&D inputs. Its overall score suffered most from a six-spot decline to 21st in human capital capacity. Washington was at its weakest in various measures of state appropriations for higher education, and in graduate students in science, engineering, and health sciences. Its strength in technology concentration and dynamism is attributable to Microsoft and its spin-offs, along with other start-up firms, positioning the Seattle area as one of the global centers of software. Seattle is no longer the corporate headquarters of Boeing, but retains a substantial amount of the firm’s employment and operations, and related suppliers. (page 6)