Students earning certificates led to an increase in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded for the first time in three years. That surge, however, masked a pair of significant drops in higher ed completion rates.
While certificates hit record levels, both bachelor’s degrees and associate degrees declined for the third straight year, according to data released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The number of bachelor’s degrees earned fell to the lowest level since 2015-16 while associate degrees slumped to a 10-year low.
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“This report provides yet more evidence that today’s students want shorter-term, lower-cost credentials that lead to faster employment opportunities,” said Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “It is certificate programs, not associate or bachelor’s degrees, that are drawing students into colleges today.”
In 2023-24, more than 3.2 million students earned an undergraduate degree, a slight increase from the previous academic year. Just under 60% of those students obtained a bachelor’s degree, a quarter of them got an associate degree and 16% earned an undergraduate certificate.
Certificate growth hit a 10-year-high for the third consecutive year, with increases in first-timers completing degrees and students returning to school to add to previous credentials.
These students are also getting younger. Certificate earners 24 or younger outnumber students 25 and older for the first time on record. More students aged 18-20 and under 18 also earned certificates in 2023-24, Clearinghouse data shows.
A new segment of the annual report measured students earning multiple awards in a single academic year. Just over 10.4% of students who got an undergraduate degree earned more than one credential in 2023-24. That number has been increasing steadily over the last decade, the report concluded.
The report also noted the top 10 majors for students earning bachelor’s degrees:
- Business, management, marketing and related support
- Health professions and related clinical sciences
- Psychology
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Computer and information sciences
- Social sciences
- Engineering
- Visual and performing arts
- Education
- Communication, journalism and related programs
