A new study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) found that a student’s academic discipline within certificate and associate degree programs influences future income earnings.
The report, “The Overlooked Value of Certificates and Associate’s Degrees: What Students Need to Know Before They Go to College” compared the market value of an associate degree and certificate program to a bachelor’s degree.
“Postsecondary education is not a luxury anymore; it is a necessity,” said Dr. Tanya I. Garcia, co-author of the report and senior fellow at CEW. “In order for the nation to achieve its economic and social imperatives, we need to deliver the message that education beyond high school is one of the only routes remaining to enter the middle class. Unless people start thinking about students differently, we aren’t going to get there.”
Around two million students a year earn a bachelor’s degree, compared to one million certificate and associate degree earners. Additionally, 94% of certificates and 57% of associate degrees are awarded in career-oriented fields, according to the report.
Among certain fields of study, there were surprising income differences based on degree and certification.
For example, those with an associate degree in engineering had median earnings between $50,001 and $60,000 a year. By comparison, the median earnings of those with a bachelor’s degree in education was lower, at $30,001 and $40,000 a year, the report said.
Also, bachelor’s degree recipients in the liberal arts field earn on average of between $40,000 and $50,000 a year, while construction trade workers with just certificates earn almost the same amount, according to the report.
