Postsecondary Enrollment of CTE Students

Today, the National Center for Education Statistics released a new Data Point that compares the postsecondary enrollment of high school graduates who earned a minimum number of credits in a single career and technical education (CTE) field (CTE concentrators) with those who did not concentrate in CTE. Findings include: Overall, 78 percent of students who graduated from a public high school in 2013 enrolled in postsecondary education within three years of graduation. Among 2-credit CTE concentrators (graduates who earned at least two credits in one CTE area in high school), 74 percent enrolled in postsecondary education within three years. Among 3-credit CTE concentrators, the postsecondary enrollment figure was 73 percent. Among graduates who enrolled in postsecondary education, 77 percent of 2-credit CTE concentrators and 80 percent of 3-credit CTE concentrators earned a credential in an occupational field or last studied in an occupational field. Among graduates who enrolled in postsecondary education, 26 percent of 2-credit CTE concentrators pursued a field of study aligned with their area of CTE concentration in high school, as did 28 percent of 3-credit concentrators. The Data Point is based on data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), which surveyed a nationally representative sample of grade 9 students in 2009, with follow-up data collections in 2012, 2013, and 2016. To view the full report, please visit