Some students face a difficult choice: either take rigorous academic courses that prepare them for college or take career and technical education (CTE) classes that help them find a job after high school.
But what if this is a false choice?
For our Data Note No. 2, we investigated how college and employment outcomes vary based on whether students concentrated in CTE (defined as taking three or more courses in the same CTE subject) and in what discipline they concentrated.
Three important takeaways from our findings:
Overall, CTE concentration seems to have a positive relationship with both college enrollment and how much money graduates will make, but the largest determining factor isn't whether students concentrate in CTE, but rather, which field they concentrate in.
Finally, for even more related information, be sure to check out our blog, the Basics of Career Exploration for Students.