Today, 80% of good-paying jobs require a postsecondary education, and differences in educational attainment have a profound impact on students’ future earnings. Median earnings are 20% higher for associate degree holders and 67% higher for bachelor’s degree holders than for high school graduates. In Worcester, only 48% of 2020-21 high school graduates enrolled in a two- or four-year college. Only 21% of Worcester Public Schools graduates earn a college degree within six years of graduation, and completion rates are lower for underrepresented student groups.
Fortunately, we have a proven, evidence-based solution for increasing college access and completion: early college.
