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Degrees and certificates open doors and increase earning potential.
Postsecondary education benefits students in many ways. For example, it’s associated with higher levels of earnings, not just in the short term but also over a lifetime (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). It’s also increasingly necessary for landing and retaining high-quality positions in the workforce. One study estimates that by 2030, more than 6 out of 10 Texas jobs will require at least some postsecondary education (Carnevale et al., 2020).
Texas continues to increase production of degrees, certificates, and credentials every year. We must not only continue but accelerate that progress to strengthen our workforce and support the needs and dreams of families across the state.
The number of degrees and certificates is increasing.
As shown below, the number of Texans earning degrees and certificates has increased since 2022. The number of degrees and certificates awarded has increased by 5.5% from 2022 to 2024. Although a 1.9% decrease in certificates and degrees awarded occurred between 2021 to 2022, the number of earned degrees and certificates has since rebounded, reaching a peak of 318,301 awards earned in 2024. Overall, the number of degrees and certificates awarded increased by more than 10,000 awards from 2023 to 2024.
Disggregating the data by race and ethnicity reveals that the rate of increase for some racial/ethnic groups is quite high, including the rate for students who are Hispanic, Asian, or International students. The largest jumps for most of these groups are among associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Traditional degrees dominate the landscape.
Currently, among degree types, traditional credentials like bachelor’s and associate degrees are much more prevalent than others. The number of short-term certificates and associate degrees had the strongest growth from 2023 to 2024. Increasing production of postsecondary certificates that provide valuable skills and knowledge is vital to our economic competitiveness. Also, while not everyone is expected to seek more advanced degrees, to meet its strategic higher education goals, Texas needs to increase the number of research doctorates awarded each year.
The number of women attaining credentials rose almost every year since 2015.
The number of women earning degrees and certificates increased steadily from 2015 to 2021, declined slightly in 2022, and appears to increase gradually from 2022 to 2024 (~4,000 credentials earned; a 2.2% increase). In contrast, the number of men earning degrees and certificates has increased rapidly between 2022 and 2024, with an increase of over 12,000 credentials earned (a 10.3% increase). For both women and men, the number of degree or certificates awarded peaked in 2024.
The data consistently show more women earn postsecondary credentials than men. Compared by degree level, in recent years, women earned more credentials than men in every degree except certificates, where men tended to earn more degrees than women. In previous years, men and women received roughly equal numbers of doctoral degrees – this trend changed, and by 2021 a steep gender gap emerged that has continued into 2024. This contrasts with the roughly 50-50 gender balance in the state population at large. But it matches the trend we see for postsecondary enrollment in Texas as well as global trends in enrollment and completion that have persisted for decades.
Why have more degrees and certificates gone to women in recent years? Cultural shifts expanding the opportunities and roles expected of women may play a part (DiPrete and Buchmann, 2013). It may be easier for men to find decent-paying work without a postsecondary degree or certificate, leading them to forgo higher education in favor of joining the workforce (Evers et al., 2006).
Regardless, we’d like to see degrees and certificates awarded more equally among men and women. The economic benefits associated with postsecondary credentials are significant and should be accessible to everyone.
Take a deeper dive with our interactive degrees and certificates dashboard.
The following dashboard provides a deeper dive into state data on degrees and certificates, with opportunities to view institution-level details and other insights.
To explore more granular data, view our interactive dashboard.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (February 2019). Education pays: Median weekly earnings by educational attainment, 2018. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/data-on-display/education_pays.htm#:~:text=Median%20weekly%20earnings%20in%202018%20for%20those%20with,the%20%24932%20median%20weekly%20earnings%20for%20all%20workers
- Carnevale, A.P (2022). Net New Jobs that Will Require Postsecondary Education and Training. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.
- DiPrete, T.A., & Buchmann, C. (2013). The rise of women. The growing gender gap in education and what it means for American schools. Russell Sage Foundation.
- Evers, F., Livernois, J., & Mancuso, M. (2006). Where are the boys? Gender imbalance in higher education. Higher Education Management and Policy, 18(2), 107-120.
