This Urban Institute research report focuses on students who enroll in short-term career and technical education (CTE) programs to help them overcome barriers and improve their pathways to economic mobility. These "new majority" learners include students from low-income and underrepresented communities as well as students not coming directly from high school, such as adults juggling work and school. 

Using data from the College Scorecard, the authors examine CTE programs overall as well as the six fields of study with the most CTE programs: health sciences, business and marketing, computer and information sciences, repair services, protective services, and personal and culinary services. The analyses explore debt incurred to attend the program, earnings two years after graduation, debt burden (debt as a share of earnings), and how each outcome was shaped by program, institution, and labor market characteristics.

The authors conclude that across all programs, the field of study strongly shaped students' debt burden. In the short term, associate degrees appear to have higher debt burdens relative to certificates. In addition, the team finds that where students study also matters, with public institutions generally offering more value than private institutions.