Post-college earnings of Iowa community college career and technical education students: Analysis of selected career clusters

The economic impact of community colleges has become an important factor at both state and national levels. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand specific factors such as gender, age, degree attainment and annual gain in earnings that influence fifth-year post-college earnings of Iowa community college students in career and technical education in selected national career clusters. This study analyzed the predictive power of community college students' background characteristics and their highest award attained to their fifth-year annual earnings.;Existing data sets were matched to capture information on students' education and earnings. These data sets were: Iowa Department of Education's Management Information System (MIS), Iowa Workforce Development's Unemployment Insurance (UI) records, and the National Student Clearinghouse.;The results in the Manufacturing; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and the Transportation/Distribution and Logistics clusters were similar. In these clusters gender, age, economic status, community college degree and annual gain in earnings were significant predictors of a student's fifth-year annual earnings. Females and traditional age students should be aware that, if they do not receive an associate degree, their earning potential is significantly less than that of males.;The Architecture and Construction cluster varied in the results. In this cluster gender, age and annual gain in earnings were significant predictors of a student's fifth-year annual earnings. Females and traditional age students are at a disadvantage in this cluster in relationship to their fifth-year annual earnings.;In the Arts, Audiovisual Technology and Communication cluster gender, community college degree and annual gain in earnings were also significant predictors of fifth-year annual earnings. Females need to understand that if they do not receive an associate degree their earning potential is significantly less than males.;Community colleges are encouraged to consider these results when providing career information and guidance to students. Earning potential based on an award is an important variable to consider; however, it is only one of multiple variables that should be considered. Students who leave community college without an award find themselves earning less than the median annual earnings of those who received an associate degree.