Title: The State of American Higher Education Outcomes in 2019
Author: Michael Itzkowitz
Source: Third Way
A new Third Way report investigates whether U.S. postsecondary institutions are successful in educating and preparing students for the workforce. It focuses on disparities in higher education outcomes across different types of institutions.
The report found that:
- Although two-thirds of all U.S. jobs require some postsecondary education, only 45 percent of young adults ages 25 to 34 hold a credential beyond high school.
- Among four-year institutions, the median completion rate was 77 percent, compared with 38 percent of students at two-year institutions and 56 percent at certificate-granting institutions. While four-year institutions had higher eight-year completion rates when compared with other institution types, 15 percent of four-year institutions had completion rates where more than half of students did not complete a credential within eight years.
- Across institution types, the median earnings for college graduates ranged from 35 percent among certificate-granting institutions to 64 percent among four-year institutions.
- The majority of graduates from four-year institutions (85 percent) were able to begin paying down their original principal balance of student loan debt shortly after leaving. This was the highest percentage across institution types.
According to the author, a central consideration for higher education institutions should be whether they actually succeed in increasing opportunities for their students.
Click here to read the full report.
–Yuan He
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