The Returns to Degree Completion at CUNY’s Community Colleges - CCRC Research Report - April 2026

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

The CCRC research report analyzes earnings returns for CUNY community college associate degree entrants using longitudinal linked administrative and earnings records. Using selection-on-observables (OLS) and individual fixed effects (FE), it distinguishes terminal associate completion from bachelor’s pathways and discusses how nonrandom completion affects econometric estimates. Results show substantial, robust earnings gains for terminal associate completers by Year 10, alongside larger annual returns for bachelor’s completers. Returns are examined across entry cohorts, majors, demographics, and ASAP eligibility over a 10-year post-entry follow-up.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages43

Reading Time1 h 48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research Questions

Key Takeaways

Background and Prior Evidence

Returns to Community College Degrees

Relevance of the ASAP Context for the Study

Data and Methods

Outcome Variable

Subgroup Definitions

Methodology

Findings

Effect of Degree Completion on Earnings

How Returns Vary Across Subgroups

Robustness Across Estimation Approaches (OLS versus FE)

Comparing FE Estimates to Similar Estimates From Ohio

Conclusion

References

Appendix A. Details on Sample and Methods

Appendix B. Supplementary Figures and Tables

The Returns to Degree Completion at CUNY’s Community Colleges Veronica Minaya Judith Scott-Clayton Joshua K.R. Thomas April 2026 CCRC Research Report Address correspondence to: Veronica Minaya Community College Research Center Teachers College, Columbia University 525 West 120th Street, Box 174 New York, NY 10027 [Email:](Email: vmm2122@tc.columbia.edu)[ ](Email: vmm2122@tc.columbia.edu)[vmm2122@tc.columbia.edu](Email: vmm2122@tc.columbia.edu) The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A240240 to MDRC. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education. We are grateful to our colleagues at CCRC and our partners at MDRC and the City University of New York (CUNY) for their valuable feedback on this report. In particular, we thank Thomas Brock ofCCRC, Michael J. Weiss and Colin Hill of MDRC, and Sarah Truelsch, Christine Brongniart, and Zineta Kolenovic of CUNY. Overview Drawing on over a decade of longitudinal linked administrative and earnings records, this report examines earnings returns for CUNY community college associate degree program entrants using selection-on-observables (OLS) and individual fixed effects (FE) methods, distinguishing between terminal associate degree completion and pathways involving bachelor’s attainment, whether earned alone or in combination with an associate degree. Because degree completion is not random, estimated returns depend on the econometric assumptions underlying each approach. We pay particular attention to how returns vary across entry cohorts, major fields (as declared at entry), student demographic characteristics, and eligibility for ASAP (a program that provides intensive advising, financial support, and structured coursetaking to help community college students enroll full-time and graduate on time) as well as how these returns evolve overtime after graduation (within a 10-year post-entry follow-up period) . We find substantial and robust earnings returns to associate degree completion for CUNY community college students across multiple estimation approaches and student subgroups. For example, after accounting for a wide range offactors—including early academic performance and pre-college earnings—we estimate substantial earnings gains associated with completing a terminal associate degree by Year 10. Specifically, terminal associate degree completers earned about $2,426 more per quarter (roughly $9,700 annually), representing an increase of about 30% compared to noncompleters. Nearly as many community college entrants completed a bachelor’s degree as completed only an associate degree, and bachelor’s degree completers saw much larger annual returns—about $16,000 annually relative to noncompleters. Although earnings trajectories vary with timing, demographics, and local labor market conditions, degree completion is consistently associated with improved long-run labor market outcomes. Table of Contents 1. Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Questions ................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Key Takeaways ......................................................................................................... 4 2. Background and Prior Evidence ................................................................................. 5 2.1 Returns to Community College Degrees .................................................................. 5 2.2 Relevance of the ASAP Context for the Study......................................................... 7 3. Data and Methods ......................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Outcome Variable ............................

FAQs

What question does the report address about degree completion?

It examines earnings returns for CUNY community college associate degree entrants and how outcomes differ between terminal associate degree completion and pathways that include bachelor’s attainment.

Which methods are used to estimate earnings returns?

The report uses selection-on-observables (OLS) and individual fixed effects (FE), explicitly noting that degree completion is not random and that estimates depend on econometric assumptions.

What are the main findings about earnings effects?

Terminal associate completers show substantial and robust earnings gains by Year 10 (about $2,426 more per quarter). Bachelor’s degree completers have larger annual returns (about $16,000 annually relative to noncompleters), and completion is consistently linked to improved long-run labor market outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle