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.
The authors find that over half (56%) of community college credentials awarded in 2022-23—including 35% of associate degrees, virtually all bachelor’s degrees, 59% of long certificates, and 93% of short certificates—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.
The authors also find that about two thirds of the associate degrees awarded by community colleges in 2022-23 are designed to enable students to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program and that more than 94,000 community college long certificates and over 27,000 short certificates are in general or liberal studies, humanities, or social sciences (referred to as general education certificates). Nearly 60% of transfer associate degrees are in liberal or general studies, and only 24% of transfer associate degrees are associated with median earnings near a living wage two years after completion.
The report is accompanied by an interactive dashboard that shows data on community college awards by field with associated earnings and awardee demographics at the national, state, and institution levels.
