Pathways to Economic Mobility: Identifying the Labor Market Value of Community College in Massachusetts. Understanding Boston

This report provides a contribution to the growing public policy debate around how to combat structural inequality by quantifying the power of community college as a pathway to economic mobility. Until recently, it has been difficult to accurately estimate the return to a community college education in Massachusetts because numerous factors affect who enrolls, when they enroll, the rate at which they complete a credential, and the field of study that they pursue. The Commonwealth's State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) allows the authors to build statistical models that untangle these patterns. The analysis consistently uncovers strong labor market returns to community college studies for young adults. Findings suggest efforts to position more students for community college success can play a meaningful role in building a more equitable Commonwealth. An appendix is included in the report. [Written with assistance from Phillip Rubin-Streit, Ioana Hulbert, and Dylan Jacovo. Edited by Antoniya Marinova and Sandy Kendall. This report was produced by the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy and MassINC.]