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.

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Incorporating Quality in Noncredit Workforce Programs: Colleges’ Considerations for Program Design

In October 2024, Incorporating Quality in Noncredit Workforce Programs: Colleges’ Considerations for Program Design, by researchers Katherine Hughes of the American Institutes for Research and Michelle Van Noy of EERC, was published in the League for Innovation in the Community Colleges' Innovation Showcase series. 

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