What contributes to science skepticism? Virtually every U.S. high-school student is required to study biology, at minimum, to earn a diploma. But the exact content of the course varies from state to state. This article investigates the role of state standards for high-school science content in shaping knowledge and attitudes about science--specifically, how inclusion of lessons on evolution theory influences students' knowledge about evolution at the end of schooling, attitudes on evolution in adulthood, as well as the probability that they work in life sciences. There is substantial variation across U.S. states in how evolution is covered in education standards--and the nature of this variation has changed over time. The author looked at the period of 2000 to 2009. During that timespan, 22 states expanded the coverage of evolution in their education standards and 15 states reduced it. Analysis shows that what states require in their educational standards has long-lasting effects on individual attitudes and occupational choices--which, even outside of the challenges of managing a pandemic, can foster innovation, opportunity, and economic growth. When state education leaders require comprehensive instruction in evolution theory in high school, they are helping grow the science workforce of the future.