The number and types of postsecondary credentials are growing. That growth presents opportunities but also poses challenges to learners who are trying to map their education and connect it to employment opportunities. To achieve a positive return on their education investment, learners need to make enough money with their new credential to offset the debt they took on to complete it. This is especially true of short-term career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Most students who enroll in these programs are the “new majority” who benefit from well-designed programs and enhanced support to help them overcome barriers and improve their pathways to economic mobility. They include students from low-income and underrepresented communities, as well as students not coming directly from high school, like student parents, adults juggling work and school, returning citizens, and others.
This report from the Urban Institute examines CTE programs overall and within six fields of study: health sciences, business and marketing, computer and information sciences, repair services, protective services, and personal and culinary services. It explores the program outcomes of debt, earnings, and “debt burden” (debt as a share of earnings) and how each outcome is shaped by program, institution, and labor market characteristics.