The Labor Market Returns to Very Short Postsecondary Certificates

Rajeev Darolia (), Chuanyi Guo () and Youngran Kim
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Rajeev Darolia: University of Kentucky
Chuanyi Guo: University of Kentucky
Youngran Kim: Michigan State University

No 16081, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Major policy initiatives and high award rates have led to questions about the value of short-term postsecondary credentials. We examine the labor market returns to very short certificates, including those that require only a few credits to complete, using data from a state that has among the highest awarding rates of such credentials. We do not find strong evidence that rapid certificates (those that require 6 credits or fewer) have lower immediate labor market returns than longer but still short-term certificates (7-36 credits). For health students, rapid certificates yield the greatest immediate earnings and employment gains, though these benefits appear to fade out. We also find that, compared to pre-enrollment, health and skilled trades students who earned a rapid certificate are most likely to switch into an establishment whose industry aligns with the field of study.

Keywords: returns to education; postsecondary certificates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I26 J24 J38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 53 pages
Date: 2023-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-lma
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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