The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) annually produces a report examining degree and credential production in Kentucky in the previous academic year (July 1 through June 30) and over the last five years. Using data from the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS), the report details the number and types of credentials…

In response to rising college tuition and student debt over the past three decades, some institutions, localities, and states have implemented a range of tuition-free promise programs to promote college access and success. Programs vary widely in their design features, including eligibility stipulations and award structure. I explore the growing…

This report highlights higher education's early return on investment for the Kentucky high school class of 2011. It follows 43,655 students who graduated from a Kentucky high school in 2011 to 2019, the most recent year of data available. Following a note from the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and an executive…

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…

An aging population coupled with changing technology means there are growing dentistry needs across the country--and community colleges are there to train the workforce. Dental accreditations and degrees are currently available at two-year colleges nationwide--including the farthest reaches of Alaska--pointing to an industry very much in demand.…

Many Virginians aspiring to earn a four-year degree intentionally begin their journey at one of the 23 community colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). In concert with those aspirations, the VCCS is committed to providing its residents an affordable and accessible program of study that prepares them to transfer and earn a…

Recently, studies have adopted fixed effects modeling to identify the returns to college. This method has the advantage over ordinary least squares estimates in that unobservable, individual-level characteristics that may bias the estimated returns are differenced out. But the method requires extensive longitudinal data and involves complex…

Over the past few years, a multitude of studies have examined the labor market returns to community college credentials, taking advantage of new administrative datasets that link college transcripts to quarterly earnings records and allow for comparisons of students' earnings before and after enrollment. These studies, however, typically follow…

The nursing profession is facing a serious shortage of registered nurses based on current numbers, projected retirements, and estimates of future need. Nursing schools accept the largest numbers of students that they are able to accommodate, but many of these students do not complete the programs; this is especially true for associate degree…

This report tracks 42,856 students who graduated from a Kentucky high school in 2010 until 2018, the most recent year of data available. Over half of these students entered an in-state college or university directly from high school. Another 5,000 had enrolled in college by 2018. All in all, 13,576 (32%) completed a postsecondary credential, and…

This paper reviews recent evidence on the labor market returns to credit accumulation, certificates, and associate degrees from community colleges. Evidence is collated from estimates of earnings gaps across college students using large-scale, statewide administrative datasets from eight states. Six of these states were partners of the Center for…

This report describes the state of Kentucky's postsecondary education degree and credential attainment between Academic Years (AY) 2013-14 and 2017-18. Using data from the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS), the report details the number and types of credentials earned at Kentucky's public universities, the campuses of the…

We examine the relative labor market gains experienced by first-time college students who enrolled in five community colleges in Michigan in 2003 and 2004. We track credentials, credits, earnings, and employment for these students through 2011. We compare labor market outcomes of those who earned a credential (associate degree or certificate) to…

Research shows that the more courses students take and complete, especially early in their postsecondary programs, the more likely they are to graduate. In particular, students who take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits a year have a higher likelihood to complete associate and baccalaureate degrees than students enrolling in fewer hours, even…

The Certification Data Exchange Project (CDEP) was launched in 2012 to provide a model for sharing industry-recognized credential attainment data. Increasingly, employers and education leaders are recognizing the value of industry credentials to verify the knowledge, skills and abilities that students bring to the workforce. As states take steps…