Percentage distribution of 2013 public high school graduates and percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2016 or June 2021, and selected postsecondary outcomes among 2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021, by high school career and technical education (CTE) concentrator status

Table 326.60.Percentage distribution of 2013 public high school graduates and percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2016 or June 2021, and selected postsecondary outcomes among 2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021, by high school career and technical education (CTE) concentrator status
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
2013 public high school graduates
Percentage distribution of CTE concentration status	38.7	0	(1.22)	61.3	0	(1.22)	41.6	0	(1.23)	19.7	(0.67)	20.1	0	(0.97)	79.9	0	(0.97)	60.6	0	(1.22)	19.4	0	(0.86)
Percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2016	74.8		(0.95)	80.9		(0.85)	82.6		(0.98)	77.5	(1.36)	72.6		(1.42)	80.1		(0.70)	81.6		(0.82)	75.5		(1.25)
Percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021	80.2		(0.86)	84.5		(0.79)	85.8		(0.89)	81.7	(1.26)	78.0		(1.30)	84.0		(0.71)	84.9		(0.77)	81.3		(1.21)
Average number of months from high school exit to first postsecondary enrollment	4		(0.2)	4		(0.1)	4		(0.2)	4	(0.3)	4		(0.2)	4		(0.1)	4		(0.1)	3		(0.2)
2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021
Percentage distribution of highest postsecondary degree/certificate earned by June 2021	100.0		(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0	(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0		(†)
No postsecondary degree/certificate	32.0		(1.46)	31.5		(1.45)	28.5		(1.63)	38.6	(2.43)	33.8		(2.11)	31.2		(1.26)	30.6		(1.39)	33.4		(2.37)
Certificate	6.8		(0.80)	5.1		(0.65)	4.8		(0.77)	5.7	(0.97)	8.1		(1.19)	5.2		(0.56)	5.0		(0.66)	5.8		(1.03)
Associate's degree	13.6		(1.21)	9.4		(0.74)	8.7		(0.86)	10.9	(1.65)	16.3		(1.91)	9.7		(0.70)	9.1		(0.74)	11.9		(1.58)
Bachelor's or higher degree¹	47.7		(1.81)	54.1		(1.52)	58.0		(1.64)	44.7	(2.72)	41.8		(2.30)	53.9		(1.41)	55.3		(1.48)	49.0		(2.75)
Percentage of certificate holders who earned their certificate in a CTE field	96.0		(2.17)	99.2		(0.84)	99.6		(0.47)	98.5	(1.75)	96.5		(2.73)	98.3		(1.06)	99.2		(0.93)	95.6		(3.43)
Percentage of associate's degree holders who earned their degree in a CTE field	58.3		(5.08)	44.8		(4.27)	41.4		(5.08)	51.3	(7.04)	63.5		(6.07)	46.3		(3.68)	40.9		(4.34)	61.0		(6.96)
Average number of months from first postsecondary enrollment to highest postsecondary degree/certificate earned by end of June 2021
Certificate	28		(3.3)	40		(4.1)	40		(5.1)	40	(5.5)	22		(3.7)	40		(3.3)	40		(4.2)	37		(5.3)
In CTE field	28		(3.3)	40		(4.2)	40		(5.1)	41	(5.6)	20		(3.2)	40		(3.4)	41		(4.2)	38		(5.6)
Not in CTE field	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡	(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
Associate's degree	45		(2.1)	48		(2.2)	47		(2.3)	50	(4.2)	45		(2.7)	48		(1.8)	49		(2.1)	45		(2.9)
In CTE field	43		(2.7)	44		(2.2)	41		(2.4)	48	(4.0)	41		(3.3)	45		(2.0)	43		(2.0)	47		(4.0)
Not in CTE field	50		(2.9)	52		(3.3)	52		(3.4)	53	(7.1)	52		(4.4)	51		(2.7)	53		(3.2)	41		(4.0)
Bachelor's or higher degree¹	57		(0.8)	58		(0.6)	58		(0.7)	58	(1.0)	57		(1.2)	58		(0.5)	58		(0.6)	57		(0.9)
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
¹Includes bachelor's degree, master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., law degree (i.e., J.D.), and other higher level professional degrees. Under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, bachelor's and higher degrees are generally not considered to be career and technical education.
NOTE: Public high school graduates are defined as fall 2009 ninth-graders who graduated from a public high school with an honors or standard diploma by August 31 of their expected graduation year (2013). This table includes only graduates who had a complete grade 9–12 transcript, defined as one that recorded at least 16 Carnegie units (a Carnegie unit is a credit hour, i.e., the equivalent of a course taken every school day, one period per day, for a full school year), with a positive, nonzero number of units completed in English. Ninety-four percent of 2013 public high school graduates had a complete grade 9–12 transcript. "Ever enrolled in postsecondary education" refers to ever enrolling in a postsecondary course or postsecondary certificate or degree program. 2- and 3-credit CTE concentrators earned at least 2 and at least 3 credits, respectively, in the same CTE area during high school, with the CTE areas being: agriculture and natural resources; business, finance, and marketing; communication and communications technologies; computer and information sciences; construction; consumer services; engineering, design, and production; health care; mechanical repair and operation; and public services. This table presents estimates for 2- and 3-credit CTE concentrators because the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, uses a 2-credit definition, while older research on CTE concentrators often uses a 3-credit definition. See https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019046 for the taxonomy used to define high school subject areas. See https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/data/2020008_crosswalk.xlsx for the crosswalk linking secondary and postsecondary occupational fields.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) High School Transcript Study, Second Follow-up, Postsecondary Education Transcript and Student Financial Aid Records Collection, and Postsecondary Education Administrative Records Data Collection. (This table was prepared March 2024.)

Table 326.60.Percentage distribution of 2013 public high school graduates and percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2016 or June 2021, and selected postsecondary outcomes among 2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021, by high school career and technical education (CTE) concentrator status

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

Selected postsecondary outcome

2-credit CTE concentration status

3-credit CTE concentration status

Concentrator

Nonconcentrator

Concentrator

Nonconcentrator

Total

Earned fewer than 2 CTE credits

Earned at least 2 CTE credits, but fewer than 2 credits in any single CTE area

Total

Earned fewer than 3 CTE credits

Earned at least 3 CTE credits, but fewer than 3 credits in any single CTE area

2013 public high school graduates

Percentage distribution of CTE concentration status

38.7

(1.22)

61.3

(1.22)

41.6

(1.23)

19.7

(0.67)

20.1

(0.97)

79.9

(0.97)

60.6

(1.22)

19.4

(0.86)

Percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary
education by June 2016

74.8

(0.95)

80.9

(0.85)

82.6

(0.98)

77.5

(1.36)

72.6

(1.42)

80.1

(0.70)

81.6

(0.82)

75.5

(1.25)

Percentage ever enrolled in postsecondary
education by June 2021

80.2

(0.86)

84.5

(0.79)

85.8

(0.89)

81.7

(1.26)

78.0

(1.30)

84.0

(0.71)

84.9

(0.77)

81.3

(1.21)

Average number of months from high school exit to
first postsecondary enrollment

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.2)

(0.3)

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.2)

2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in
postsecondary education by June 2021

Percentage distribution of highest postsecondary
degree/certificate earned by June 2021

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

100.0

(†)

No postsecondary degree/certificate

32.0

(1.46)

31.5

(1.45)

28.5

(1.63)

38.6

(2.43)

33.8

(2.11)

31.2

(1.26)

30.6

(1.39)

33.4

(2.37)

Certificate

6.8

(0.80)

5.1

(0.65)

4.8

(0.77)

5.7

(0.97)

8.1

(1.19)

5.2

(0.56)

5.0

(0.66)

5.8

(1.03)

Associate's degree

13.6

(1.21)

9.4

(0.74)

8.7

(0.86)

10.9

(1.65)

16.3

(1.91)

9.7

(0.70)

9.1

(0.74)

11.9

(1.58)

Bachelor's or higher degree¹

47.7

(1.81)

54.1

(1.52)

58.0

(1.64)

44.7

(2.72)

41.8

(2.30)

53.9

(1.41)

55.3

(1.48)

49.0

(2.75)

Percentage of certificate holders who
earned their certificate in a CTE field

96.0

(2.17)

99.2

(0.84)

99.6

(0.47)

98.5

(1.75)

96.5

(2.73)

98.3

(1.06)

99.2

(0.93)

95.6

(3.43)

Percentage of associate's degree holders who
earned their degree in a CTE field

58.3

(5.08)

44.8

(4.27)

41.4

(5.08)

51.3

(7.04)

63.5

(6.07)

46.3

(3.68)

40.9

(4.34)

61.0

(6.96)

  Average number of months from first postsecondary
     enrollment to highest postsecondary
     degree/certificate earned by end of June 2021

Certificate

(3.3)

(4.1)

(5.1)

(5.5)

(3.7)

(3.3)

(4.2)

(5.3)

In CTE field

(3.3)

(4.2)

(5.1)

(5.6)

(3.2)

(3.4)

(4.2)

(5.6)

Not in CTE field

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Associate's degree

(2.1)

(2.2)

(2.3)

(4.2)

(2.7)

(1.8)

(2.1)

(2.9)

In CTE field

(2.7)

(2.2)

(2.4)

(4.0)

(3.3)

(2.0)

(4.0)

Not in CTE field

(2.9)

(3.3)

(3.4)

(7.1)

(4.4)

(2.7)

(3.2)

(4.0)

Bachelor's or higher degree¹

(0.8)

(0.6)

(0.7)

(1.0)

(1.2)

(0.5)

(0.6)

(0.9)

†Not applicable.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

¹Includes bachelor's degree, master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., law degree (i.e., J.D.), and other higher level professional degrees. Under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, bachelor's and higher degrees are generally not considered to be career and technical education.

NOTE: Public high school graduates are defined as fall 2009 ninth-graders who graduated from a public high school with an honors or standard diploma by August 31 of their expected graduation year (2013). This table includes only graduates who had a complete grade 9–12 transcript, defined as one that recorded at least 16 Carnegie units (a Carnegie unit is a credit hour, i.e., the equivalent of a course taken every school day, one period per day, for a full school year), with a positive, nonzero number of units completed in English. Ninety-four percent of 2013 public high school graduates had a complete grade 9–12 transcript. "Ever enrolled in postsecondary education" refers to ever enrolling in a postsecondary course or postsecondary certificate or degree program. 2- and 3-credit CTE concentrators earned at least 2 and at least 3 credits, respectively, in the same CTE area during high school, with the CTE areas being: agriculture and natural resources; business, finance, and marketing; communication and communications technologies; computer and information sciences; construction; consumer services; engineering, design, and production; health care; mechanical repair and operation; and public services. This table presents estimates for 2- and 3-credit CTE concentrators because the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, uses a 2-credit definition, while older research on CTE concentrators often uses a 3-credit definition. See https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019046 for the taxonomy used to define high school subject areas. See https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/data/2020008_crosswalk.xlsx for the crosswalk linking secondary and postsecondary occupational fields.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) High School Transcript Study, Second Follow-up, Postsecondary Education Transcript and Student Financial Aid Records Collection, and Postsecondary Education Administrative Records Data Collection. (This table was prepared March 2024.)