HERNDON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / April 10, 2025 / The last school year experienced record-breaking growth in the number of undergraduate certificate completers, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The Undergraduate Degree Earners report covers undergraduate credentials including certificates, bachelor's degrees, and associate degrees. While the number of undergraduate certificate earners grew, the number of bachelor's degree and associate degree earners declined for the third consecutive year, according to the report. Fewer students earned an associate degree this year than in any of the last 10 years, and bachelor's degree earners declined to their lowest level since 2015-16.
"This report provides yet more evidence that today's students want shorter-term, lower-cost credentials that lead to faster employment opportunities," said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. "It is certificate programs, not associate or bachelor's degrees, that are drawing students into colleges today."
In the 2023-24 academic year, more than 3.2 million learners earned an undergraduate credential (+0.6% or +20,500 from a year earlier). Of those total learners, 58.8% (1.9 million) earned a bachelor's degree as their highest undergraduate award, 25.1% (821,400) earned an associate degree, and 16.1% (525,200) earned an undergraduate certificate. Total numbers increased this year for both first-time completers (+0.5%) and those with previous undergraduate credentials (+0.9%).
Certificate earners drive increases: The number of learners earning certificates continued its record-breaking growth, reaching a new 10-year high for the third consecutive year. This report distinguishes between learners earning their first-ever undergraduate credential and those who are stacking new awards on top of a previous degree or certificate. Both first-time certificate earners (+12.6%, +41,500) and those with a prior award returning to earn a certificate (+8.0%, +11,500) saw significant increases. The proportion of first-time undergraduate degree completers who earned a certificate was about 1 in 7 (15.4%) in the 2023-24 school year, compared with 1 in 9 (11.3%) just a decade earlier in 2014-15.
The number of completers with a prior certificate earning a bachelor's or associate degree increased this year (+6.3% and +4.1%, respectively). In contrast, the number of bachelor's degree completers with a prior associate declined for the third year in a row.
Certificate earners are getting younger on average. The 2023-24 academic year marks the first time that certificate completers aged 24 and younger outnumbered those 25 and older. Certificate completers 18-20 years old grew by nearly 20,000 (17.8%) and those under 18 (likely dual enrolled high school students) grew by over 7,000 (27.2%) in 2023-24.
Special analysis on students earning multiple awards: New this year, the report presents a special analysis of undergraduate completers who earned multiple awards in the same academic year. While most undergraduate credential earners earned one award, 10.4% of completers in 2023-24 earned multiple awards within the academic year. This share has ticked up slowly, ranging from 8.1 to 10.4% in the last 10 years.
Certificates are the undergraduate credential most likely to be earned within the same academic year as another credential. More than one third of all completers earning a certificate (34.5% in 2023-24) receive that certificate within the same year alongside a bachelor's, associate, and/or another certificate.
The Undergraduate Degree Earners Report profiles students who graduated with undergraduate-level credentials, including certificates, associate, and bachelor's degrees in the latest academic year (2023-24). It compares first-time completers to those with prior awards and examines changes over time in demographics (gender, age, race/ethnicity), major fields, and credentials since 2014-15. The report includes national, state, and regional trend data and introduces a new analysis of students who earned multiple awards in the same year.
For the complete report, visit nscresearchcenter.org/undergraduate-degree-earners.
This report was created with the support of Lumina Foundation.
About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.
CONTACT:
media@studentclearinghouse.org
SOURCE: National Student Clearinghouse
