Developed by the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network’s Workgroup on CTE Cost Analysis, this brief serves as a guide for researchers, evaluators, and administrators in documenting the resources required to provide a range of CTE experiences for learners in high schools and community colleges. Cost studies are a critical part of CTE research because they tell schools and colleges what resources are needed to provide effective career exposure and preparation for students as they journey toward further education and employment.

The brief supplements the Institute of Education Sciences Cost Analysis: A Starter Kit, which shows how to measure both the standard “business as usual” costs as well as the incremental costs of an education program using the “ingredients method." Because the general tools for cost analysis in education are available in the IES starter kit and elsewhere, this brief focuses on identifying specific additional resources used in CTE programs that would not be needed in standard classrooms. An introduction frames the purpose of cost analysis and cost measurement, after which the brief outlines specific CTE resources and how to measure them.

This resource is part of our Network collection of CTE Research Fundamentals.