States need to know more about what types of credentials students are earning in order to assess how well those credentials align to employers’ skill needs and how well suited they are for in-demand careers that pay family-supporting wages. In addition, states need to know who is more likely to attain credentials and who is less likely to do so. We call for states to collect and track data on attainment by types of credentials (e.g., degrees, certificates, and certifications) and categories of learners (e.g., socioeconomic status, race, gender, age cluster, prior college experience, and enrollment intensity, among other potential measures). Moreover, states should adopt and invest in strategies to close specific gaps in attainment among these populations and credential types.
