As employers seek job-ready talent and students look for faster, more flexible and affordable pathways to careers, nondegree credentials (NDCs) have expanded quickly and now represent the highest level of education for roughly 1 in 5 U.S. adults.
The Pew Charitable Trusts’ quality skills and education pathways project helps policymakers lay the groundwork for ensuring that these programs deliver real value. As states and the federal government increasingly view NDCs as tools to address workforce shortages and support economic mobility, growth in the field has surpassed the safeguards that protect students, employers, and taxpayers. Many states lack clear, consistent definitions of quality and do not collect the data needed to assess whether programs lead to meaningful skills or labor-market outcomes. At the same time, because most NDCs have been ineligible for traditional federal student aid, students often rely on risky financing—such as credit cards and high interest loans—that can leave them with debt but uncertain return in terms of career opportunities.
Pew studies how state policymakers can strengthen the NDC ecosystem by building consensus around quality standards, improving data collection and transparency, and enhancing regulatory capacity using existing oversight structures. Our work also examines how to promote safer financing options and better align public funding with high-quality programs to help ensure that nondegree credentials deliver on their promise to expand opportunity, meet workforce needs, and use public resources responsibly.
