Majoring in business typically pays off. While graduates' earnings and federal student loan debt vary by institution and degree level, the majority of business programs lead to median earnings that are roughly 10 times graduates' debt payments two years after program completion. "The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of…

As young people progress with their education and their early careers, they find themselves pushed forward or held back at critical junctures without full regard for their individual capabilities. Their paths are too often defined less by their talents and more by characteristics such as their race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic or class…

This is the executive summary of the report, "What Works: Ten Education, Training, and Work-Based Pathway Changes That Lead to Good Jobs. Findings by Race, Gender, and Class from the Georgetown University Pathways-to-Career Policy Simulation Model." To identify the pathway changes with the greatest potential, the Georgetown University…

Access to college for African Americans has increased, but African Americans are highly concentrated in lower-paying majors. The college major, which has critical economic consequences throughout life, reflects personal choices but also reflects the fact that African-American students are concentrated in open-access four-year institutions that…

This third installment of "Hard Times" updates the previous analyses of college majors, unemployment, and earnings over the Great Recession. While there is wide variation by college majors, hard times have become better times for most college graduates, but the recovery is far from complete. Hard times are becoming better times for most…

As the United States grinds its way through a halting economic recovery, one thing has become abundantly clear: The recession of 2007 continues to reshape the economy in significant and permanent ways. Perhaps the most profound change is the accelerating disappearance of good-paying jobs that require only a high-school education or less. That…

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs. With almost 90 percent of students coming from Pennsylvania and the vast majority of graduates…

The question, as individuals slowly dig out from under the wreckage left by the Great Recession, is unavoidable: "Is college worth it?" The authors' answer: "Yes, extensive research, ours included, finds that a college degree is still worth it." A Bachelor's degree is one of the best weapons a job seeker can wield in the fight for employment and…

This executive summary highlights several findings about healthcare. These are: (1) Healthcare is 18 percent of the U.S. economy, twice as high as in other countries; (2) There are two labor markets in healthcare: high-skill, high-wage professional and technical jobs and low-skill, low-wage support jobs; (3) Demand for postsecondary education in…

Certificates are recognition of completion of a course of study based on a specific field, usually associated with a limited set of occupations. Certificates differ from other kinds of labor market credentials such as industry-based certifications and licenses, which typically involve passing an examination to prove a specific competency,…

Presents the highlights of the most comprehensive survey of training ever published, the American Society for Training and Development's two-year study on work-related training in the United States. Research reveals who gets trained, who does the training, and how much training takes place in different industries. (Author)

Embraces a pragmatic view of education as first articulated by John Dewey and Jane Addams. Argues that community colleges should steer away from excessive specialization and provide a more general skills education directed toward preparing students to compete in the global economy. Contains two figures, two data tables and 13 references. (JDI)

Describes reasons for potential shortage of college-educated workers. Suggests possible remedies. (PKP)

A study tracing the United States economy over the last 40 years reports the skills needed in the changing economy around the turn of the 21st century. Data sources were the March Annual Demographic files of the Current Population Survey for 1970, 1980, 1990, and 1996, and the Public Microdata Sample of the 1960 Census. The study notes the rise of…

This report discusses the education and empowerment of Hispanic Americans, stressing the importance of expanding access to educational opportunity from preschool through graduate and professional school. The report focuses on closing the educational and opportunity gap faced by Hispanics in the United States. After an introduction, "A Hard Look at…