From Classroom to Career: Field of Study and Workforce Outcomes for Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities

• In Event: Novel Approaches to Supporting Employment for Individuals with Disabilities

Abstract

21% of college students in the United States are reported to have disabilities (US Government Accountability Office, 2024). Yet, of the 40.5 million individuals in the United States who were 25 or older and reported having a disability in 2023, only 21.2% held a bachelor’s degree compared to 38.7% of the population that did not report having a disability (PNPI, 2023).   Limited research has indicated that post-secondary education may be the key to improving labor force participation and reducing earning gaps for individuals with disabilities. Understanding the diversity amongst students with disabilities, course outcomes, and needs can be crucial to improving achievement, especially as it relates to students who are neurodivergent.  However, there is little known about the returns to education for specific fields of study for students with disabilities; especially based on their disability type.  This study uses de-identified individual-level administrative data from Texas, one of the largest post-secondary systems in the United States, to examine patterns in college enrollment, persistence, graduation, and early-career earnings among students with disabilities. Field of study is classified using Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes, enabling detailed comparisons across academic pathways. This descriptive analysis examines how outcomes vary by disability type and major choice. It documents differences in student characteristics across community colleges and four-year universities and analyzes variation in major selection, persistence, and GPA across disability groups. The study further explores differences in labor force participation and earnings by field of study, disability type, and variation by the number of years students received special education services in K–12. It also identifies specific course areas or fields of study in which students with specific disability types may experience lower persistence, highlighting potential areas for targeted support.

Data has been acquired with permission of the Education Research Center (ERC) Advisory Board. Analysis is currently underway, and findings will be shared following FERPA review by the UTD-ERC. This information could be used to help improve advising and transitional assistance from high school to college to set students up for success as well as inform institutions about the need to support students with different types of disabilities. With Texas's large and growing population of post-secondary learners with disabilities, this research aims to guide policymakers, parents, and academic advisors to individualize advising for students with disabilities, particularly as it relates to their disability type.

Author

• Ahana Samat, University of Texas, Dallas
  Presenting Author