Certificates Instead of College, Who Benefits?
In a new study released today by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that certificates are the fastest growing form of postsecondary credentials in the U.S., increasing from six percent n 1980 to 22 percent of awards today.
Certificates are more affordable than college, usually taken less than a year complete and can mean a higher salary.
The study also shows that certificates have become a stepping stone to college degrees. About a fifth of certificate holders go on to earn an associaes degree; an additional 13 percent ultimately get a Bachelor’s degrees.
In some instances salaries earned with certificates can outperform two year and four year degrees. On average workers with certificates earn 20 percent more than workers with only high school diplomas. For example:
- Male certificate holders earn more than 40 percent of men with Associate’s degrees and 24 percent of men with Bachelor’s degrees.
- Female certificate holders earn more than 34 percent of the women with Associate’s degrees and 24 percent of women with Bachelor’s degrees.
Still there is a caveat. The value of the certificate is tied to being in the right field and working in that field. On average certificate holders who work in field earn 37 percent more than those who work out of field. The highest earners are those who are working in their field of study and in a high-deman occupation.
- Men who work in computer/information services earn $72,498 per year, which is more than 72 percent of men with an Associate’s degree and 54 percent of men with a Bachelor’s degree.
- Women working in the same field earn $56,664, which is greater than 75 percent of women with an Associate’s degree and 64 percent of women with a Bachelor’s degree.
“Certificates don’t work for everyone,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, the Center’s director and the report’s lead author. “Certificates are the cutting edge for Hispanic educational and income gains, they provide big payoffs for men but not for women, especially African-American women.”
- Certificates are more renumerative for men than women. Men who earn certificates earn 27 percent more than high school-educated men. Women with a certificate, by comparison, only receive an average 16 percent increase in earnings over women with a high school diploma.
- Certificates provide higher economic payoff for those with less educational preparation. Students who enroll in certificate programs and have lower standardized test scores receive similar wages as workers with some college.
Growth of certificates is strongest in the South and West. Kentucky, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida produce the most certificates among states per population. In Oklahoma, 18 percent of workers have certificates as their highest level of education; in Nebraska, only 6 percent do.
Tags: career choice, Careers, college students, job seekers
