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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?
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
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Davis+Jenkins%22">Davis Jenkins</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22John+Fink%22">John Fink</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tatiana+Velasco%22">Tatiana Velasco</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Columbia+University%2C+Community+College+Research+Center+%28CCRC%29%22">Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Community+College+Research+Center%2C+Teachers+College%2C+Columbia+University%22"><i>Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Data: 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/
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  Data: Ascendium Education Group, Inc.
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  Data: Policymakers; Administrators
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Colleges%22">Community Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Certificates%22">Educational Certificates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Associate+Degrees%22">Associate Degrees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bachelors+Degrees%22">Bachelors Degrees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Force+Development%22">Labor Force Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+Work+Relationship%22">Education Work Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Transfer+Students%22">College Transfer Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22General+Education%22">General Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Income%22">Income</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Potential%22">Employment Potential</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+College+Students%22">Community College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Value+Judgment%22">Value Judgment</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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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  Data: ED672540
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Community Colleges
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Certificates
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Associate Degrees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bachelors Degrees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Labor Force Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Education Work Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Transfer Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: General Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Income
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Potential
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Value Judgment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
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            NameFull: Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC)
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            NameFull: Davis Jenkins
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            NameFull: John Fink
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            NameFull: Tatiana Velasco
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              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
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