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Labor Market Outcomes for College Graduates with an Associate Degree

Author : Fatih Aktas

Publisher :

Page : 60 pages

File Size : 42,2 MB

Release : 2013

Category :

ISBN : 9781303290329

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Book Description

This research investigates the contribution of community colleges to U.S. college graduates' salary and participation in the labor market. Using a quantitative approach to a human capital framework, this study investigates annual salary and employment rate differences between only bachelor's degree holders and both an associate's and a bachelor's degree holders. Labor market expectations have led to increasing attention on community-college and four-year college graduates throughout the late 20th and early 21 st centuries. This research tests these labor market expectations and asks whether degree-type contributes to annual salary and employment status in the labor market. The data from the 2008 National Survey of Recent College Graduates administered by the National Science Foundation was used to examine annual salary and employment rate differences. The analyses reported here show that degree type has a slight positive impact on annual salary and employment status. However, there are other factors such as gender, age, race/ethnicity that mediate the positive impact of having both an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree on annual salary and labor market participation. These findings suggest that examining background factors and educational history together rather than focusing only on the relationship between degree type and labor market outcomes is needed in further analyses.



Labor Market Trajectories for Community College Graduates

Author : Veronica Minaya

Publisher :

Page : 30 pages

File Size : 27,50 MB

Release : 2017

Category :

ISBN :

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Book Description

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 students for only four to six years after initial entry, meaning they may only be observed for a year or two after graduation. Graduates' early labor market experiences may not fully capture the returns to completion, and may particularly distort comparisons of longer versus shorter duration credential programs. We extend the literature by examining returns to terminal associate degrees and certificates up to 11 years after students initially entered a community college in Ohio. We use an individual fixed-effects approach that controls for students' pre-enrollment earnings and allows the returns to credential completion to vary over time. Additionally, we examine how the returns to credential completion shift as students enter and exit the Great Recession, as well as how credentials affect other labor market outcomes such as employment stability and the likelihood of earning a "living wage." Our results confirm prior findings regarding the positive early returns to associate degrees and long-term certificates. However, the value of an associate degree grows substantially after graduation while the returns to a long-term certificate remain flat. Returns to associate degrees are notably higher during the recession (the patterns for certificates are more muted and vary by gender). Finally, we find that while both associate degrees and long-term certificates increase the likelihood and stability of employment, associate degrees lead to much higher paying jobs and a greater likelihood of earning a living wage. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications.



Labor Market Returns to Community College Awards

Author : Peter Riley Bahr

Publisher :

Page : 40 pages

File Size : 33,93 MB

Release : 2015

Category :

ISBN :

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Book Description

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 those who enrolled but did not earn a credential. The data sources consist of administrative records data from the colleges, Unemployment Insurance earnings data from the State of Michigan, and enrollment and graduation data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Our analytic sample consists of 20,581 students. We find that students who were awarded a long-term certificate (referred to as a "diploma" in some states, including North Carolina) earned $2,500 to $3,600 more per year than did those without a credential, with the larger returns concentrated among men. For associate degrees, the estimated returns were $9,400 for women and $5,600 for men. Women saw little gain when awarded a short-term certificate, while men gained $5,200 per year. Estimated returns were highest in health-related and technical fields. Two appendices are included: (1) Analysis of Non-Credit Courses and Awards; and (2) Coding of Fields and Subfields of Study.







Postgraduate Outcomes of College Students

Author : Jerold S. Laguilles

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 114 pages

File Size : 20,56 MB

Release : 2016-09-16

Category : Education

ISBN : 1119326133

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Book Description

The post-graduation outcomes of college students are being more widely used as key metrics to demonstrate institutional effectiveness to both external agencies and internal stakeholders. Institutional research offices play an integral role in these data collection efforts. However, underlying challenges exist regarding obtaining an adequate amount of survey responses and salary or earnings information. This volume focuses on the first-destination outcomes (e.g., earnings, employment, graduate/ professional school enrollment) of college graduates while recognizing that other outcomes are also relevant across institutional settings. Through the use of current research, case studies, and best practices, each chapter highlights how postgraduate outcomes information is collected and used across the higher education spectrum. In this volume readers will learn: the internal and external demands for these data, the strengths and challenges of their data, and how to best communicate these data to various constituents. This is the 169th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Timely and comprehensive, New Directions for Institutional Research provides planners and administrators in all types of academic institutions with guidelines in such areas as resource coordination, information analysis, program evaluation, and institutional management.



Bridging the Gaps

Author : James E. Rosenbaum

Publisher : Russell Sage Foundation

Page : 212 pages

File Size : 14,37 MB

Release : 2017-09-02

Category : Education

ISBN : 1610448685

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Book Description

College-for-all has become the new American dream. Most high school students today express a desire to attend college, and 90% of on-time high school graduates enroll in higher education in the eight years following high school. Yet, degree completion rates remain low for non-traditional students—students who are older, low-income, or have poor academic achievement—even at community colleges that endeavor to serve them. What can colleges do to reduce dropouts? In Bridging the Gaps, education scholars James Rosenbaum, Caitlin Ahearn, and Janet Rosenbaum argue that when institutions focus only on bachelor’s degrees and traditional college procedures, they ignore other pathways to educational and career success. Using multiple longitudinal studies, the authors evaluate the shortcomings and successes of community colleges and investigate how these institutions can promote alternatives to BAs and traditional college procedures to increase graduation rates and improve job payoffs. The authors find that sub-baccalaureate credentials—associate degrees and college certificates—can improve employment outcomes. Young adults who complete these credentials have higher employment rates, earnings, autonomy, career opportunities, and job satisfaction than those who enroll but do not complete credentials. Sub-BA credentials can be completed at community college in less time than bachelor’s degrees, making them an affordable option for many low-income students. Bridging the Gaps shows that when community colleges overemphasize bachelor’s degrees, they tend to funnel resources into remedial programs, and try to get low-performing students on track for a BA. Yet, remedial programs have inconsistent success rates and can create unrealistic expectations, leading struggling students to drop out before completing any degree. The authors show that colleges can devise procedures that reduce remedial placements and help students discover unseen abilities, attain valued credentials, get good jobs, and progress on degree ladders to higher credentials. To turn college-for-all into a reality, community college students must be aware of their multiple credential and career options. Bridging the Gaps shows how colleges can create new pathways for non-traditional students to achieve success in their schooling and careers.