Holding Credentials Accountable To Outcomes
We Need Evidence-Based Funding Models
Despite a marketplace flooded with over 1.1 million credentials, only 1 in 8 deliver material wage gains for workers. This landmark report from the BGI, in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute, cuts through the noise, using data from 65 million career records to reveal which credentials actually boost earnings, enable career switches, and help workers advance. While the best programs yield wage gains of nearly $5,000 and dramatically increase upward mobility, the majority fall short. With Workforce Pell and other public investments on the rise, the report calls for a rigorous, outcomes-based approach to credential funding—one that protects learners and taxpayers alike.
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With over 1.1 million credentials available but only 12 percent delivering significant wage gains, learners face a chaotic marketplace that lacks effective oversight.
Top-decile credentials yield annual wage gains of nearly $5,000 and significantly increase career-switching success and advancement opportunities, while bottom-tier credentials provide few or no benefits.
New data analytics enable objective measurement of credential outcomes across wages, career mobility, and promotion metrics.
