ERIC Number: ED672540
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
Davis Jenkins; John Fink; Tatiana Velasco
Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
In this report, the authors use Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data to classify the 1.425 million degrees and certificates that community colleges awarded in academic year 2022-23 by intent (i.e., whether the program is designed to enable students to enter the workforce, transfer to a bachelor's degree program, or explore general education coursework), level (associate degree, bachelor's degree, long certificate, or short certificate), and field. The authors also use two-year post-completion median earnings data from the College Scorecard and other evidence to provide a rough assessment of which credentials by intent, level, and field are and are not likely to enable students to secure a living-wage job or transfer efficiently in a major. They also examine the gender and racial/ethnic characteristics of program completers to assess whether graduates of programs with stronger potential post-completion value are representative of graduates overall. Findings show over half (56%) of community college credentials awarded in 2022-23 are workforce or career-technical credentials designed to prepare students to secure jobs or develop job skills. While most of these credentials are associated with median earnings near or above a living wage two years after completion, 23% of workforce associate degrees are associated with median earnings well below a living wage, and women and students of color are underrepresented among associate and bachelor's graduates in some higher earning fields. This report provides a framework that college and state system leaders can use to analyze the potential value of their awards for employment and transfer.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Educational Certificates, Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, Labor Force Development, Education Work Relationship, College Transfer Students, General Education, Income, Employment Potential, Community College Students, Student Characteristics, Value Judgment
Community College Research Center. Available from: CCRC Publications. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; Fax: 212-678-3699; e-mail: ccrc@columbia.edu; Web site: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: Policymakers; Administrators
Language: English
Sponsor: Ascendium Education Group, Inc.
Authoring Institution: Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A