38 percent of credential-seeking undergraduates are seeking a credential in an occupational field, below the bachelor’s degree level

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The National Center for Education Statistics released a new Statistics in Brief report today (June 26) entitled Participants in Subbacclaureate Occupational Education: 2012. This report uses data from the 2011–12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study to examine how many students participated in subbaccalaureate occupational education, the characteristics of these students, their fields of study, and the types of postsecondary institutions in which they enrolled.

Among the findings for subbaccalaureate students:

• Health sciences was the most common field of study pursued by occupational students, followed by business and marketing.
• The majority of occupational students were female, and they constituted a larger percentage of the students in occupational programs than in either academic programs or bachelor’s degree programs.
• A larger percentage of occupational students had parents with no college experience, compared to academic students or bachelor’s degree students.
• Occupational students most often enrolled in public 2-year institutions, followed by for-profit institutions.