Quality in Community College Non-Credit Education

Student interest in noncredit educational programs at community colleges has grown considerably since the outset of the pandemic. Yet little is known about the quality of these programs and the credentials they lead to in a range of industries.

This study examines noncredit program offerings at 29 community and technical colleges around the country, including in-depth case studies of several of these programs. Using student surveys, the project also explores the decision-making process students use to enroll in a noncredit program.

Supported by the Lumina Foundation, this study was guided by the Rutgers Education & Employment Research Center’s non-degree credential quality framework.