Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/272708 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16081
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
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.
Subjects: 
returns to education
postsecondary certificates
JEL: 
I26
J24
J38
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
1.32 MB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.