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25 Apr 2013
Report

Higher Education Pays: The Initial Earnings of Graduates of Texas Colleges and Universities Who Are Working in Texas

Mark S. Schneider

The results of a recent study in Texas suggest that the degree a student earns matters, but that there are important variations in returns by program and by institution. Higher Education Pays: The Initial Earnings of Graduates of Texas Public Colleges and Universities was prepared by College Measures, a joint venture of AIR and the Matrix Knowledge Group, and details the first-year earnings of recent graduates from two- and four-year public institutions who are working across the state one year after obtaining their degree or certificate.

Graphic: First Year Earnings in Texas

Among the findings:

  • On average, a year after graduation, students with two-year technical degrees have first-year median earnings of more than $50,000, just over $11,000 more than graduates of bachelor’s degree programs across the state.
  • Graduates with these two-year technical degrees earn, on average, about $30,000 more than students who completed academically oriented two-year degrees and are now in the labor force.
  • The first-year earnings of graduates from different community colleges vary widely.
  • Certificates are one of the fastest-growing credentials offered by community colleges. The median first-year earnings of certificate holders often exceed those of graduates from academic and technical associate’s programs.
  • The median first-year earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients statewide are around $39,000. However, there is a wide range in earnings, depending upon field of study.
  • Master’s degree graduates earn more—often far more—than students with a bachelor’s degree.
PDF icon Higher Education Pays: The Initial Earnings of Graduates of Texas Colleges and Universities Who Are Working in Texas

Related Projects

Project

College Measures

College Measures worked with state governments to help identify higher education credentials with high return on investment. Our work focused on jobs that present the best opportunities for students to launch exciting careers and on skills that students need to get those jobs, with the goal of helping them find programs that allow them to lead the lives they want.

Related Work

3 Sep 2013
Report

combined-state-college-earningsv6-hp.gif

Infographic: Associates vs. Bachelors degrees

Higher Education Pays: But a Lot More for Some Graduates Than for Others

Prospective college students need sound information about where their educational choices are likely to lead. This report indicates that some graduates with associate's degrees outearn those with bachelor's degrees in their first year, and finds what a person studies can produce higher earnings than where he or she studies.

Topic: 
Postsecondary Education
25 Apr 2013
News Release

Report: In Texas, First-Year Income of Certificate Holders Can Exceed Earnings of Those with Associate’s or Bachelor’s

A report comparing the first-year earnings of graduates with two-year and four-year degrees – as well as those with master’s and certificates – from public colleges and universities in Texas finds that the median first-year earnings of certificate holders often exceeds those of graduates from associate’s programs.

Further Reading

  • Report: In Texas, First-Year Income of Certificate Holders Can Exceed Earnings of Those with Associate’s or Bachelor’s
  • First Year Earnings of Recent College Graduates in Colorado Vary Widely, Depending Upon Their School and Their Degree, New Report Finds
  • When It Comes to Your Pay, What You Study in College Is More Important than Where You Go To School, New Analysis Finds
  • Associate’s Degrees and Certificates Can Be a Path to the Middle-Class, New Report on Colorado Graduates Finds
  • The Value of Higher Education
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Topic

Postsecondary Education

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