Renewed attention to quality in higher education in all sectors, particularly since the 2007-2009 Great Recession, has raised interest in the value of education. While research associating the quality of education and institutional attributes with graduate earning potentials has been conducted among four-year higher education institutions, fewer…

Investing in community college workforce training is a central part of the Biden administration's agenda for improving the lives of American families. Now more than ever, as the nation's economy enters a post-pandemic period of significant organizational and technological change, community colleges are well-situated to help millions of low-income…

Student feedback is essential to maintaining quality and relevance in the education system. Through surveying former students, BC Student Outcomes provides the information needed to help shape post-secondary education in British Columbia. Every year, BC Student Outcomes collects feedback from former students who took post-secondary programs,…

The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, now in its sixth year, charts a course to make Virginia the best-educated state by 2030. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia developed The Virginia Plan as part of its statutory role to "advocate for and promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound,…

Student feedback is essential to maintaining quality and ensuring relevance in the education system. BC Student Outcomes provides that feedback by surveying former post-secondary students who took apprenticeship technical training, baccalaureate programs, and associate degree, diploma, or certificate programs. In 2016, over 28,000 former students…

Student feedback is an essential component of a high-quality, relevant education system. BC Student Outcomes provides that feedback by surveying former post-secondary students who took baccalaureate programs, apprenticeship technical training, and diploma, certificate, or associate degree programs. In 2015, almost 28,000 former students were…

At a time of sustained unemployment and sluggish job growth, students and policymakers are increasingly asking tough questions about postsecondary education and training outcomes. Do graduates find jobs? What are they paid? What will they earn in the future? Despite growing national interest in this information, good answers are not widely…

This dissertation consists of three essays on adolescents' post secondary education choices and labor market returns. The first chapter analyzes returns to selectivity of four-year colleges by different post-bachelor's degree schooling paths. The second chapter documents the role of family income in college application and enrollment…