A new report released today shows that certificate programs continue to attract more undergraduates, indicating that many college students have a strong interest in short-term, lower-cost credentials that lead more quickly to job opportunities.
For the third consecutive year, the number of completers whose highest earned credential was a certificate increased by 11.2% (53,0000 students) in the 2023-24 academic year, according to the analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. Meanwhile, those completing an associate or bachelor’s degree declined -0.9% (-7,900) and -1.3% (-24,600), respectively. In fact, the report notes that it was the lowest number of associate degree completers over the last 10 years and the fewest bachelor’s degree earners since 2015-16.
The percentage of associate-to-bachelor’s completers (412,475) also decreased by -0.6% (2,421), continuing a three-year slide though at a lower rate. Prior 2021-22, the rate was heathily increasing for several years, including a 4.8% bump in 2020-21.
A closer look at credentials
The research center also took a closer at certificate completers who were first-time credential earners and those who already had a previous credential. Both first-time certificate earners and those with a prior award returning to earn a certificate saw significant increases at 12.6% (41,500) and 8.0% (11,500), respectively. The number of completers with a prior certificate earning a bachelor’s or associate degree increased 6.3% and 4.1%, respectively.
The center also observed that certificate earners were younger in 2023-24. It’s the first time that certificate completers ages 24 and younger outnumbered those 25 and older. Certificate completers ages 18 to 20 grew by nearly 20,000 (17.8%) and those under 18 (likely dual-enrolled high school students) grew by more than 7,000 (27.2%), according to the report.
The data also show that Hispanic and Black first-time certificate earners outpaced White completers in 2023-24. In fact, White first-time certificate earners have seen their percentage of total certificate earners steadily drop, from 46.4% in 2018-19, to 39.2%, the report says. It notes that the trend is mainly due to a significant six-year growth among Hispanic (51.4%) and Black (21.8%) first-time certificate earners.
Multiple credentials
The NSC Research Center also examined how many completers were earning multiple credentials in the same academic year. About 10.4% of completers in 2023-24 earned several awards within the academic year, the report says, noting that the figure has slowly gradually increased over the past decade from 8.1%.
Undergrads were most likely to earn a certificate within the same academic year as another credential. More than one-third of all completers earning a certificate (34.5% in 2023-24) received that certificate within the same year alongside a bachelor’s, associate and/or another certificate, according to the center.
Breakdown by race/ethnicity
The report shows a continued downturn among White students earning an associate degree who are first-time completers, dropping -4.4% (12,625) in 2023-24. The rate has steadily decline since 2017-18, with the largest percentage decline at -7.1% in 2022-23.
At the same time, the rate among Hispanic, Black, Asian and multiracial students has been more steady over the past decade, but each group has experienced smaller declines and even some small increases in 2023-24 after big drops the previous year.
The share of completers with a prior award has also steadily increased for most ethnoracial groups, the report says. More than one in three Hispanic, Black, Native American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander baccalaureate degree completers first earned another credential, mostly associate degrees.
Fields of study
More than 300,000 completers earned their first undergrad credential in 2023-24 in three fields of study: business, liberal arts and health professions. For associate-degree earners, computer and information sciences and supports saw the largest increase at 10% (3,372), totaling 37,205. Computer science associate completers have grown 16.2% since 2015-16, the report notes.
Health professions and related clinical sciences had a 0.2% (324) increase, totaling 147,931. Business management, marketing and related support; and visual and performing arts also saw slight increases. Major seeing rate decreases in associate degrees include: security and protective services; education; and liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities.
Meanwhile, first-time certificate earners in trade-related fields continued to spike in 2023-24: engineering technologies (8.8%), precision production (13.9%), construction trades (16.1%) and mechanic and repair technologies (17.9%).
