Overall, the cohort of CCCS students experienced a 17 percent increase in wages. This takes into account students who only took a few courses, as well as those who received degrees from the colleges. 

 

Wage gains were higher for students who earned a credential, up 31.5 percent. Meanwhile, students earning associate of applied science (AAS) degrees had the greatest increase in wages, at 55.5 percent.

 

AAS are typically career-oriented terminal degrees that specifically prepare students for a career rather than generally preparing them to transfer, like most associate of arts, associate of science and associate of general studies degrees. CCCS’s top ten AAS programs include: registered nurse training, radiologic technology, fire protection technology, criminal justice/law enforcement administration, dental hygienist, management information systems, accounting technology, interior design, business administration and management, and paralegal.

 

AAS dental hygienist degree-earners increased their wages 230 percent after their education at Colorado community colleges and registered nurse AAS degree earners elevated their pay by 108 percent. In fact, the system’s entire cluster of health sciences AAS degree-earners showed an average wage increase of 97 percent (40 percent of the degrees awarded by CCCS are in health care).

 

Students from the system’s entire information technology cluster showed an average wage increase of 39 percent. Wages of those who were educated in the system’s manufacturing cluster went up 84 percent.  Meanwhile, students earning a two-year certificate from a CCCS college were able to increase their wages by 29.6 percent.

 

Almost 40 percent of undergraduate credentials conferred by U.S. higher education institutions are below a bachelor’s degree. According to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for employees with two-year degrees/certificates is growing, constituting six of the 10 fastest-growing careers.