This Statistics in Brief uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), a national study of more than 23,000 ninth-graders in 2009. Follow-up surveys were filled out by the cohort in 2012, 2013, and 2016. This report uses data of high school graduates' transcripts, collected in 2013, and their postsecondary transcripts,…

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…

A common approach to describing the credentials required for occupations is to cite whether workers hold an educational degree beyond a high school diploma--that is, whether they hold a postsecondary degree. Using a postsecondary degree as a measure of occupational credentialing, 45 percent of labor force participants (adults who are working or…

This Data Point uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a nationally representative sample survey of households. The SIPP provides information on many topics, including income, participation in government programs, family dynamics, and education. This report uses new SIPP data on professional…

This Data Point uses data from the 2009 follow-up to the 2004 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study to examine the rates of employment among students who do and do not earn a postsecondary credential, and among those who earn a credential in an occupational versus academic field. The Data Point also looks at the percent of students…

This First Look report provides selected key findings on adults' attainment of nondegree credentials (licenses, certifications, and postsecondary certificates), and their completion of work experience programs such as apprenticeships and internships. This version of the report corrects an error in three tables in the originally released version…

The report draws on a wide array of surveys and administrative datasets to present statistics on high school dropout and completion rates at the state and national levels. The report includes estimates of the percentage of students who drop out in a given 12-month period (event dropout rates), the percentage of young people in a specified age…

This First Look report presents selected findings from the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/17), a nationally representative survey of undergraduates who entered postsecondary education for the first time in the 2011-12 academic year. BPS:12/17 covers the experiences of these first-time beginning postsecondary…

The report draws on a wide array of surveys and administrative datasets to present statistics on high school dropout and completion rates at the state and national levels. The report includes estimates of the percentage of students who drop out in a given 12-month period (event dropout rates), the percentage of young people in a specified age…

Subbaccalaureate credentials, including associate's degrees and postsecondary certificates below the bachelor's level, are a large and growing part of the postsecondary education enterprise. For example, in 2015, fully 51 percent of all undergraduate credentials were awarded at the subbaccalaureate level, up from 48 percent in 2003. Horn and Li…

Education and training beyond high school are important for securing opportunities for high-wage jobs in the United States. Academic degrees awarded by institutions of higher education represent a key component of the post-high-school credentials available to the American labor force. Other credentials, such as industry-recognized certifications,…

This Issue Brief focuses on the subbaccalaureate sector of career-related credential programs, corresponding to the definition of career/technical education (CTE) as "organized educational activities that provide technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree." The report examines…

This report presents information about selected characteristics and experiences of high school sophomores in 2002 who subsequently dropped out of school. It also presents comparative data about late high school dropouts in the years 1982, 1992, and 2004. Three data sources provide the information for the report: the High School and Beyond…

In light of the growing labor market demand for jobs requiring a minimum of subbaccalaureate credentials, this Statistics in Brief presents recent changes in subbaccalaureate awards in the decade between 1997 and 2007, using 2002 as a midpoint. It describes changes in the number and types of awards conferred, overall and within particular fields…

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates in 2006, provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last 3 decades (1972-006), and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts…