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Study Highlights Economic Disparities Linked to Associate Degrees
Recent research conducted by scholars at Virginia Commonwealth University sheds light on the economic benefits of obtaining an associate degree while also revealing significant disparities in labor market outcomes among various demographic groups. The study underscores the impact of identity factors such as race, gender, and citizenship on economic returns associated with higher education.
Lead researchers Katybeth Lee, Ph.D., from the VCU School of Business, and Hayley Cleary, Ph.D., from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, investigated how the economic advantages of higher education differ between individuals who have completed some college coursework without earning a degree and those who have obtained an associate degree.
In their article titled “Are the Tickets for Everyone? Heterogeneity of Economic Rewards for Associate’s Degree Completion,” published in The Review of Black Political Economy, the researchers conclude that the financial benefits of attaining an associate degree are not uniformly experienced across all demographic groups.
On average, individuals with an associate degree enjoyed greater economic rewards than those with only some college education. However, the study found that this advantage diminished significantly for workers who belonged to at least one socially disadvantaged category—whether based on race, gender, citizenship, or nativity. The situation was even more pronounced for individuals with multiple disadvantaged identities.
The authors advocate for increased funding initiatives aimed at supporting women and non-white workers in pursuing associate degrees, especially in sectors with high demand and high earning potential, such as nursing, information technology, and management.
“Women and non-white workers have faced wage disparities for generations,” stated Lee, who serves as executive director of Business Career Services. “By enhancing educational funding opportunities for these groups, we can start to bridge the longstanding gaps in economic returns for individuals with disadvantaged social identities.”
Completing a college degree is widely recognized as a key pathway for social mobility and economic advancement. Lee emphasizes that, “Individuals at the lower end of the income spectrum who attain a college degree tend to experience upward social mobility, which in turn allows them to pass along educational benefits to their children, thereby affecting intergenerational social mobility.”
The findings further highlight that workers with some college education but no degree experience unemployment and earnings more akin to those of high school graduates than college graduates.
“This study underscores that while earning an associate degree benefits all groups studied, it also highlights the stark starting disparities faced by different populations,” Cleary noted. She is an associate professor with research interests that intersect social science, law, and policy.
“Although women and non-white individuals achieve significant gains from completing associate degrees compared to their majority peers, the labor market disproportionately rewards white men with substantially higher economic returns,” she added. “Analyses that do not consider these granular differences mask the unique experiences of a diverse labor force.”
More information: Kathleen E. Lee et al., “Are the Tickets for Everyone? Heterogeneity of Economic Rewards for Associate’s Degree Completion,” The Review of Black Political Economy (2023). DOI: 10.1177/00346446231190657
Citation: Earning an associate degree has varying value for workers based on demographics, researchers find (2024, October 10) retrieved 10 October 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-10-associate-degree-varying-workers-based.html
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