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Research ArticleArticle

Career Technical Education and Labor Market Outcomes

Evidence from California Community Colleges

Ann Huff Stevens, Michal Kurlaender and Michel Grosz
Journal of Human Resources, October 2019, 54 (4) 986-1036; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.54.4.1015.7449R2
Ann Huff Stevens
Ann Huff Stevens is a professor of economics and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Michal Kurlaender is a professor of education at the University of California, Davis. Michel Grosz is an economist at the Federal Trade Commission.
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Michal Kurlaender
Ann Huff Stevens is a professor of economics and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Michal Kurlaender is a professor of education at the University of California, Davis. Michel Grosz is an economist at the Federal Trade Commission.
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Michel Grosz
Ann Huff Stevens is a professor of economics and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Michal Kurlaender is a professor of education at the University of California, Davis. Michel Grosz is an economist at the Federal Trade Commission.
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Abstract

Career technical education (CTE) programs at community colleges are increasingly seen as an attractive alternative to four-year colleges, yet little systematic evidence exists on the returns to specific certificates and degrees. We estimate returns to CTE programs using administrative data from the California Community College system linked to earnings records. We employ estimation approaches, including individual fixed effects and individual-specific trends, and find average returns to CTE certificate and degrees that range from 14 to 45 percent. The largest returns are for programs in the healthcare sector; estimated returns in non-health related programs range from 15 to 23 percent.

JEL Classification
  • I24
  • I26
  • Received October 2015.
  • Accepted January 2018.
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Journal of Human Resources: 54 (4)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 54, Issue 4
2 Oct 2019
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Career Technical Education and Labor Market Outcomes
Ann Huff Stevens, Michal Kurlaender, Michel Grosz
Journal of Human Resources Oct 2019, 54 (4) 986-1036; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.54.4.1015.7449R2

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Career Technical Education and Labor Market Outcomes
Ann Huff Stevens, Michal Kurlaender, Michel Grosz
Journal of Human Resources Oct 2019, 54 (4) 986-1036; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.54.4.1015.7449R2
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Prior Research on the Returns to Postsecondary Schooling
    • III. Data
    • IV. Sample Construction
    • V. Statistical Framework for Estimating Returns to CTE Programs
    • VI. Results
    • VII. Discussion and Conclusion
    • Appendix
    • Footnotes
    • References
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Keywords

  • I24
  • I26
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