The Case for Postsecondary Enrollment
Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook: Chapter 3
Overview
Postsecondary enrollment is a powerful pathway to economic mobility and long-term stability. With 70% of U.S. jobs expected to require education or training beyond high school by 2031, what comes after graduation matters more than ever. Postsecondary options — including two- and four-year colleges, career and technical education programs, apprenticeships and the skilled trades — all share a common goal: preparing students for careers that offer a living wage and a future. Communities can expand access to these pathways through strong college and career counseling, rigorous coursework, financial support and coordinated systems that help every student find and pursue their next step.
Postsecondary enrollment refers to the pathway students take after high school that leads to further education, training or employment. This includes enrollment in two-year and four-year colleges and universities, participation in career and technical education (CTE) programs that result in industry-recognized certifications, registered apprenticeships, entry into skilled trades or military service. In today’s economy, postsecondary enrollment encompasses pathways that are explicitly aligned with earning a degree, credential or skill set of value that leads to a career offering at least a living wage. It is no longer sufficient for students to graduate high school alone; success now depends on gaining the postsecondary preparation necessary to access economic mobility and long-term stability.
The importance of increasing postsecondary enrollment cannot be overstated — for individuals, for communities and for the broader economy. As we note in the introduction, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has found that 70% of jobs in the U.S. economy will require some form of postsecondary education or training beyond high school by 2031(CEW, 2021). Yet, as of recent data, only about 62% of U.S. high school graduates enroll in college directly after graduation, with even fewer accessing career training or military pathways that provide similar long-term economic benefits.
Postsecondary enrollment — particularly when students successfully complete a degree, certification or training — translates into significant lifetime economic advantages. The same Georgetown study found that individuals with associate degrees earn about $400,000 more over a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma, while bachelor’s degree holders earn nearly $1 million more.
Beyond individual outcomes, higher rates of postsecondary enrollment and attainment are directly linked to broader community well-being. Regions with more educated workforces tend to experience:
- Lower unemployment rates
- Increased civic engagement
- Higher tax revenues
- Better public health outcomes
In contrast, low postsecondary enrollment and completion rates perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality — particularly for Black, Latine and low-income students, who face systemic barriers to access and success in postsecondary pathways. By increasing access to a range of high-quality postsecondary options, we not only expand opportunity for individual students, but also invest in the social and economic resilience of entire communities.
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