Job Opportunities for Career College Graduates

Private career schools, institutes, colleges and universities continue to provide diverse educational opportunities for students interested in receiving career-specific training in art, business, information technology, allied health, culinary arts and over 200 other fields of study. Career colleges award a wide range of education credentials, from short-term certificates to graduate-level degrees, such as Master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as first professional degrees.

The Fact Book 2010: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities presents a comprehensive look at the for-profit and career college sector of higher education, as well as a comparison of public and private two- and four-year institutions. Below is a small sampling of the data, compiled in the Fact Book.

There are an increasing number of job opportunities opening up for employees with a postsecondary degree or certificate, particularly in the health, technology and business fields. Career colleges provide training for many of these occupations. One-fourth of career college students are enrolled in high-growth fields, and three-quarters of career college graduates find employment upon graduation.

• A 13% increase in job opportunities by 2018 is projected for occupations requiring a postsecondary vocational award. Jobs requiring an Associate degree are projected to be the most in-demand, with a 19% increase.
  
  
   
• Workers with a two-year degree on average will earn about 26% more than those with only a high school diploma. Those with a Bachelor’s degree will earn on average an additional 48% more than those with two-year degrees.
  
  
   
• Career college graduates have first job annual earnings similar to those of graduates at public two-year and private, not-for-profit two-year institutions.
  
  

Although career colleges enroll a much smaller number of students (10%) than do private not-for-profit (17%) and public (73%) institutions, they account for a disproportionate percentage of graduates in key fields.

• Forty-four percent of career college students are enrolled in high-growth fields, compared with public (18%) and private, not-for-profit (13%) institutions.
• Seventeen of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are in the healthcare and computer/data processing industries. An estimated 1.8 million jobs are being created in these fields through 2018.
• Growth in the health services and computer support fields will generate an increasing number of new jobs, most of which will require postsecondary training or an Associate degree.
• Forty-two percent of health degrees and certificates conferred at less-than-two-year and two-year institutions were awarded at career colleges; 14% of health degrees and certificates conferred at four-year-or-more institutions were awarded at career colleges.
• Twenty-seven percent of technology degrees and certificates conferred at less-than-two-year and two-year institutions were awarded at career colleges; 30% of technology degrees and certificates conferred at four-year-or-more institutions were awarded at career colleges.
• Forty-four percent of business degrees and certificates conferred at less-than-two-year and two-year institutions were awarded at career colleges; 16% of business degrees and certificates conferred at four-year-or-more institutions were awarded at career colleges.
• Seventy-six percent of career college students who completed an award in 2005 were employed directly following graduation.

For more information on the Fact Book 2010: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities, please contact Jenny Faubert at jennyf@imagine-america.org.