The Education Department’s “Report on the Condition of Education 2026” has some interesting findings regarding two-year colleges in areas of enrollment, outcomes and earnings.
For example, between academic years 2013-14 and 2023-24, the number of awards conferred by postsecondary institutions increased at every award level — except associate degrees. In 2023-24, 982,100 associate degrees were conferred — a 2% drop from the 1 million conferred in 2013-14.
At the same time, conferred certificates rose 23% (from 969,300 to 2 million) and baccalaureates increased by 5%, (from 1.9 million to 2 million). The report noted that the Covid pandemic disrupted completion, and other data have shown that community college students were especially affected.
ED also found that four-year institutions conferred significantly more certificates and associate degrees over the 10-year period. The percentage of certificates they conferred increased from 11% to 27%, while the percentage of associate degrees conferred rose from 29% to 39%.
A look at enrollment
The enrollment section of the report shows that more than a quarter (29%) of public two-year college students participated exclusively in distance education. At private nonprofit two-year institutions, it was 44%. But it was private for-profit four-year institutions with the highest overall rate: 73%.
In terms of immediate enrollment in college after high school in 2024, a significantly higher percentage of students enrolled in a four-year institution. And while the percentage of students enrolled in two-year institutions did not measurably differ across racial/ethnic groups, Hispanic students had a one-percentage edge over White students (22% vs. 21%). They were followed by Black students (18%) and Asian students (16%).
The report also provided findings on undergrads’ entering and attendance status from 2009-10 to 2016-17, so the data is pre-Covid. In the two-year sector, there was an increase in first-time, full-time students (from 25% to 35%) and first-time, part-time students (from 18% to 23%). At the same time, there was a drop among non-first-time, full-time students (from 18% to 16%) and non-first-time, part-time students (from 40% to 25%).
On to outcomes
ED also looked at the distribution of two-year students who completed, remained enrolled and transferred over an eight-year period (2009-10 to 2016-17). What was eye-catching in this data set was the percentage of students whose enrollment status is unknown, ranging from 29% for non-first-time, full-time students, to 55% for first-time, part-time students.
The department also examined the outcomes of two-year students who received Pell grants over the eight-year span. Their overall completion rate was 6 percentage points higher than that of nonrecipients (37% vs. 31%). Pell recipients had a higher rate of earned certificates than nonrecipients (12% vs. 8%) and a higher rate for associate degrees or higher (25% vs. 23%).
However, the transfer rate from two-year institutions was about 8 percentage points lower for Pell recipients than for nonrecipients (21% vs. 28%).
The ED report also examined median annual earnings in 2024 by institution type. Not surprisingly, earnings increased with each degree attained, from some-college/no-degree ($49,800), to associate degree ($52,500), to $74,500 (bachelor’s degree). What stood out in these data was the discrepancy between males and females at every level of education attained. For associate-degree attainment, men earned a median of $61,200, while women earned $46,000.
