This report examines the growing interest in expanding access to postsecondary education through non-degree certificate programs and associate degree programs. This policy report seeks to better understand the implications of these trends by analyzing employment experiences and earnings outcomes of individuals whose highest level of educational…

I estimate the effect of attending an associate's degree in nursing program on nursing licensure. I use student-level academic data for all California community college students, matched to public records on all nursing licenses earned in the state. I produce causal estimates using random variation from admissions lotteries at a large nursing…

California Assembly Bill (AB) 705 (2017) calls for community colleges to transform their approach to student placement in transfer-level English and math. This reform seeks to dismantle college reliance on standardized placement tests that have historically channeled many students--particularly those from underinvested communities--into remedial…

This Data Point uses data from the 2015-16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16), a national survey of undergraduates enrolled in Title IV eligible postsecondary institutions, to examine the characteristics of students seeking subbaccalaureate credentials (certificates and associate's degrees) in health sciences. The Data Point…

As Mississippi prepares to support the statewide postsecondary attainment goal, understanding the returns to higher education is crucial to determining where to invest resources. Ithaka S+R has partnered with the Woodward Hines Education Foundation to provide Mississippi policymakers, advocates, and legislators with information they need to make…

Dual credit programs are collaborations between secondary and postsecondary institutions that enable high school students to enroll in college courses and receive simultaneous academic or technical credit that counts toward high school and college completion. Nationally and in Kentucky, dual credit participation is on the rise. The total number of…

Postsecondary education is often equated with earning a bachelor's degree, but a large and growing part of postsecondary education involves earning subbaccalaureate credentials (associate's degrees and certificates). While some economists have focused on the role of bachelor's degree programs in meeting the demand for skills in the labor market,…

Community colleges play an important role in providing access to higher education and promoting economic mobility, but student outcomes vary widely across institutions. Although community colleges have been largely excluded from recent federal accountability action, the potential re-regulation of Gainful Employment raises the question of whether…

This is the appendixes for the report, "The Impact of Career and Technical Education on Postsecondary Outcomes in Nebraska and South Dakota." Education leaders in Nebraska and South Dakota partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Central to examine how completing a sequence of career and technical education (CTE) courses in…

The Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges STEM Pipelines (HSCC-STEM) study is a research project that explores the transitions to and through Hispanic-serving two-year institutions for underrepresented minoritized STEM students. This brief uncovers the most viable HSCC STEM pathways for Latinx and other underrepresented minoritized students as well…

Participation in the modern U.S. economy requires that most workers have education and training beyond high school, with over 60 percent of all jobs and 80 percent of middle-class jobs requiring some level of postsecondary education. This report draws upon data from the 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/14) to…

These are the appendices to the report, "Using High School Data to Predict College Success in Palau" (ED610714). Prior research, particularly for the United States, has shown that earning a community college credential increases an individual's likelihood of gaining stable employment, earning a living wage, and working in a higher-paying…

This set of Web Tables is the fourth in a series of four that together provide key information about 2011-12 first-time postsecondary students' characteristics and their 6-year retention, persistence, attainment, withdrawal, stopout, and transfer rates. The series draws on data collected for the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students…

This research brief describes college attainment for students pursuing professional-technical education. Using a cohort of 36,700 first-time in college (FTIC) students who started college between 2010 and 2012, this analysis focuses on students whose goal in their final year was a professional-technical education. The cohort was given four years…

The Florida Economic Security Report details economic outcomes of recent completers from Florida's public postsecondary educational institutions. Data from the State University System of Florida (SUS), the Florida College System (FCS), and District Technical Centers (DTCs) are included in this report. The report aims to document the variation in…