Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
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| Title: | Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success? |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Davis Jenkins, John Fink, Tatiana Velasco, Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC) |
| Source: | Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. 2025. |
| Availability: | 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/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Ascendium Education Group, Inc. |
| Intended Audience: | Policymakers; Administrators |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| 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 |
| Abstract: | 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. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED672540 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | 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. |
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