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Research Article
Open Access

Are They Still Worth It? The Long-Run Earnings Benefits of an Associate Degree, Vocational Diploma or Certificate, and Some College

Changhwan Kim, Christopher R. Tamborini
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences March 2019, 5 (3) 64-85; DOI: https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2019.5.3.04
Changhwan Kim
aProfessor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Kansas
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Christopher R. Tamborini
bSenior researcher in the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics at the U.S. Social Security Administration
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Abstract

Sub-baccalaureate education accounts for most of the expansion in higher education over the last century. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have examined the related long-term financial benefits. Exploiting a rich dataset linking the Survey of Income and Program Participation and administrative earnings records, this study investigates these benefits over a person’s early and mid-career and the heterogeneity of these patterns by field of study. We find substantial payoffs, net of an extensive set of demographic covariates and variables indicating high school courses taken. At the same time, we find considerable variation across degree types and fields of study. Several vocational diplomas, certificates, and associate degrees are associated with higher earnings than bachelor’s degrees in social science, liberal arts, and education. Implications of these findings are discussed.

  • long-term earnings
  • community college
  • associate degree
  • vocational certificate
  • field of study
  • © 2019 Russell Sage Foundation. Kim, ChangHwan, and Christopher R. Tamborini. 2019. “Are They Still Worth It? The Long-Run Earnings Benefits of an Associate Degree, Vocational Diploma or Certificate, and Some College.” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 5(3): 64–85. DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2019.5.3.04. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Access to SSA data linked to Census Bureau survey data is subject to restrictions imposed by Title 13 of the U.S. Code. The data are accessible at a secured site and must undergo disclosure review before their release. For researchers with access to these data, our programs used in this analysis are available on request. Direct correspondence to: ChangHwan Kim at chkim{at}ku.edu, Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1415 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 716, Lawrence, KS 66045; and Christopher R. Tamborini at chris.tamborini{at}ssa.gov, Senior Researcher, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, U.S. Social Security Administration, 8th floor, 250 E. St., SW, Washington, D.C. 20254.

Open Access Policy: RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences is an open access journal. This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences: 5 (3)
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
Vol. 5, Issue 3
1 Mar 2019
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Are They Still Worth It? The Long-Run Earnings Benefits of an Associate Degree, Vocational Diploma or Certificate, and Some College
Changhwan Kim, Christopher R. Tamborini
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences Mar 2019, 5 (3) 64-85; DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2019.5.3.04

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Are They Still Worth It? The Long-Run Earnings Benefits of an Associate Degree, Vocational Diploma or Certificate, and Some College
Changhwan Kim, Christopher R. Tamborini
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences Mar 2019, 5 (3) 64-85; DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2019.5.3.04
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Keywords

  • long-term earnings
  • community college
  • associate degree
  • vocational certificate
  • field of study

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