Educational Attainment and Wage Trajectories: High School Graduates, Some College Experience, and Degree Earners

• In Event: The Effects of College and Professional Education Environments on Learning, Well-Being, and Accomplishment

Abstract

College education is often viewed as a key pathway to upward social mobility; however, not all students who attend college complete their degrees. This study examines the wage trajectories of high school graduates who attended college but did not earn a degree, using discontinuous growth modeling. Following a cohort of 40,243 Maryland public high school graduates over 35 financial quarters, the study highlights the economic impacts of both complete and incomplete college education relative to high school graduates with no college experience. The analysis underscores the nuanced effects of different postsecondary pathways, providing insights for policymakers to design targeted interventions promoting economic success.

Authors

• Mathew C. Uretsky, Portland State University

• Dawnsha Mushonga, University of Baltimore

• Bess A. Rose, University of Maryland

• Angela K. Henneberger, University of Maryland - Baltimore