Young Adults in RI's Education-to-Career Pipeline

The Math Preparation and Postsecondary Success Data Story examined initial higher education outcomes for a "pipeline" of students from Rhode Island’s public schools. In the current story, we take an in-depth look at the portion of these students who:

• were originally enrolled in 8th grade in Rhode Island public schools in the 2005-06 school year;
• progressed through 11th grade in Rhode Island public schools “on time” in the 2008-09 school year; and
• have since enrolled at URI, RIC, or CCRI – Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher education.1

By now, these students are earning certificates, associate’s degrees, and bachelor's degrees. We'll relate these students’ education attainment and field of study with their place in the state’s employment landscape.

In the charts that follow, graduates are those who have earned a degree or certificate from URI, RIC, or CCRI; current students are those who are enrolled at one of these institutions. Some overlap exists between these groups, as students may have earned a certificate or degree and later enrolled for further studies.

1 About 59% of the group progressing through 11th grade enrolled at URI, RIC, or CCRI by fall 2014. This is consistent with figures from a National Center for Educational Statistics study, which found that 56.3% of high school students in a national cohort enrolled in any of a roughly comparable set of institutions (a four-year public postsecondary institution, a two-year institution, or a less than two-year institution).

Of the 5,311 students who have enrolled at URI, RIC, or CCRI, 1,090 (21%) earned a certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree within four and a half years. Figures here represent the latest degree earned. For example, certificate earners who went on to earn an associate’s degree are counted only among the latter category. Note that while many bachelor’s degree programs can be completed within 4 years, others (e.g., within nursing or engineering) may have 5-year timetables. In addition, “stopping out” to work or care for a family member is common. We will gain a fuller picture of graduation rates as we continue to follow the educational experience of these students.

Nationally, the graduation rate is 19.5% among public 2-year institutions within 3 years and 33.5% among public 4-year institutions within 4 years, but these figures reflect rates for full-time students only.1 Overall, Rhode Island ranks 22nd for graduation within 4 or 6 years from a public 4-year college but 44th for graduation within 2 or 3 years from a public 2-year college.2

1 Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics.
2 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, College Completion: Who Graduates from College, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.

Cohort graduates earn considerably less than the state average across industries. This comes as no surprise, since these young adults are most likely starting in entry-level jobs. In addition, wages may reflect part-time work, even among graduates, as certificate or associate’s degree holders may be working toward a bachelor’s degree. The question is whether these young adults are earning a “living wage” that allows them to live on their own, contribute to the local economy, and save for purchases like cars and homes. In most cases the answer is: "No" (the living wage for 1 single adult in Providence county with no children: $22,757 annual income before taxes). The exceptions are few and tend to be the industries that employ fewer people (e.g. manufacturing).

Industries with higher overall average wages but lower wages for these young adults (e.g., health care, information, finance & insurance, professional, scientific & technical services) may tell a very different story in a few years’ time. For these industries in particular, students may have yet to complete further, advanced degrees. In addition, the broad range of occupations represented in each industry—particularly health care, the state’s largest industry—offer the opportunity to advance with experience.