PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Andrew M. Gill AU - Duane E. Leigh TI - Do the Returns to Community Colleges Differ between Academic and Vocational Programs? AID - 10.3368/jhr.XXXVIII.1.134 DP - 2003 Jan 01 TA - Journal of Human Resources PG - 134--155 VI - XXXVIII IP - 1 4099 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXVIII/1/134.short 4100 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXVIII/1/134.full SO - J Hum Resour2003 Jan 01; XXXVIII AB - This paper provides new evidence about the payoffs to community colleges’ terminal training programs as distinct from their traditional transfer function. Using NLSY data, we offer three main findings. First, four-year college graduates who started at a community college are not at a substantial earnings disadvantage relative to those who started at a four-year college. Second, community college students in terminal training programs enjoy a positive payoff comparable to that received by four-year college starters who do not graduate. Finally, we find evidence of positive self-selection for community college students who choose the terminal training track.