The Labor-Market Returns to Community College Degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates

Christopher Jepsen, Kenneth Troske and Paul A. Coomes (paul.coomes@louisville.edu)
Additional contact information
Paul A. Coomes: University of Louisville

No 6902, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper provides among the first rigorous estimates of the labor-market returns to community college certificates and diplomas, as well as estimating the returns to the more commonly-studied associate's degrees. Using administrative data from Kentucky, we estimate panel-data models that control for differences among students in pre-college earnings and educational aspirations. Associate's degrees and diplomas have quarterly earnings returns of nearly $2,400 for women and $1,500 for men, compared with much smaller returns for certificates. There is substantial heterogeneity in returns across fields of study. Degrees, diplomas, and – for women – certificates correspond with higher levels of employment.

Keywords: diploma; community college; returns to school; certificate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 51 pages
Date: 2012-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-lma
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Published - revision published in: Journal of Labor Economics, 2014, 32 (1), 95-121

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https://docs.iza.org/dp6902.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: The Labor-Market Returns to Community College Degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates (2014)
Working Paper: The labor-market returns to community college degrees, diplomas, and certificates (2014)
Working Paper: The labor-market returns to community college degrees, diplomas and certificates (2012)
Working Paper: The Labor-Market Returns to Community College Degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates (2012)
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