A study in the journal Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, co-authored by Madeline Trimble of TC's Community College Research Center, found that getting a degree or certificate from a community college in most cases can significantly increase your future earnings. The study analyzed the records of more than 20,000 students in Washington state who attended any of the state's 34 community and technical colleges during the 2001-02 school year. Trimble and co-author Mina Dadgar of the California-based Career Ladders Project followed the students for seven years and looked at the returns for different levels of educationas and particular fields of study.

LINK: Community College Returns High for Most Programs

Published Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014