IWERC, UChicago Consortium on School Research, state agencies collaborate on High School to Career series

CHICAGO - Students from low-income families in Illinois grow up to earn less, on average, than their higher-income peers, even when they earn the same degree or work in the same industry. Despite the powerful systemic headwinds driving these earnings gaps, some economically disadvantaged students are able to find their way into high-earning jobs. Who are these students, and what lessons can we learn from them about the college and career pathways that pay off most equitably? That's the focus of a new report from the Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative, part of the University of Illinois System.

The report is the second in the Illinois High School to Career series, which examines education and career outcomes for Illinois youth. The series is the result of a partnership between IWERC, the UChicago Consortium on School Research, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Both reports draw on a unique data set called the Illinois High School 2 Career, which tracks students from high school graduation, through any postsecondary education/training they do and into the workforce.

The researchers examined outcomes of students from low-income families who attained a range of educational degree types. "We are asked all the time about 'alternative pathways' into work," said IWERC director Meg Bates, lead author of the report. "These are pathways that involve more education than a high school degree but less than a bachelor's, such as an associate degree, a certificate or credential. People want to know, can these pathways lead to positive career outcomes?"

Key findings:

• Higher education is the most promising pathway to a good job. Averaged across all industries and programs of study, earning a bachelor's degree or above was a promising pathway for students of all racial/ethnic and gender groups.
• Pathways without a bachelor's degree can lead to good jobs. Some industries and majors provided students from low-income families with good jobs at high average rates without a bachelor's degree. These included pathways in the fields of construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade, as well as associate degrees in agriculture, engineering, health, or mechanic and repair technologies.
• However, sub-baccalaureate pathways mostly lead to good jobs for men. Many of the promising sub-BA pathways were pursued mostly by men and were less promising for the women who did pursue them. No promising pathways were identified for students with only a high school diploma.
• Disparities remain in access to good jobs, even with similar degree, program of study or industry, but higher education shrinks these gaps. Among students from low-income families, women and Black students accessed good jobs at lower rates than men and other racial/ethnic groups within the same industries and majors. However, disparities in access to good jobs shrank as education level rose, suggesting that education helps to equalize outcomes.

"These findings show that you can find a good job without a bachelor's degree, but those pathways are relatively rare and often inequitable," said Jenny Nagaoka, deputy director of the UChicago Consortium on School Research. "We should invest in developing additional promising non-college pathways, while also working to increase college-going, which is overall the surer pathway to a good job."

"The data make it clear that higher education remains one of the most effective ways for students to move into higher income brackets," State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said. "What's powerful about this report is that it shows students which pathways - degrees, industries and credentials - truly pay off. That knowledge helps students make confident, informed choices about their futures. As a state, we must continue to strengthen and expand equitable pathways to ensure every young person can turn their goals into reality."

"Students need information about what these pathways can look like, and the High School 2 Career website is a great tool for that purpose," IDES Director Ray Marchiori said. "IDES is committed to collaborating with other state agencies to make this important data public."

"This research confirms the value of education after high school as the pathway to a good job," ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow said. "But it also highlights the disparities in access to jobs among those with similar degrees, and especially among those who do not reach the bachelor's level. While higher levels of education can reduce these gaps, we still have more work to do to improve both equity and access to postsecondary education for all Illinoisans."

The full report is available on the DPI website. For additional report findings, contact Meg Bates at [email protected].​