College or Career Readiness? Postsecondary and Labor Market Outcomes for Ohio High School Students Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials
This report examines the effects of earning a credential in high school on postsecondary education and labor market outcomes for the 1.3 million Ohio students who entered high school between the school years of 2011–12 and 2019–20. By exploring the labor market outcomes, it provides new evidence on longer-term (up to seven years beyond high school) effects of earning a credential. In addition to assessing the overall consequences of earning any type of credential, it explores the potential benefits of earning a credential designated as high-demand and high-wage under Ohio’s recently authorized Innovative Workforce Incentive Program (IWIP). Of the 693 total credentials offered in Ohio’s high schools, 210 are identified as high-demand/high-wage credentials under IWIP as of the 2025–26 academic year.