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Graduating students throwing graduation caps
- In the 2024-2025 academic year, nearly 580,000 students earned an undergraduate certificate as their highest degree, according to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s recent “Undergraduate Degree Earners” report, marking the highest number in the past decade.
- Students earning their first credential made up about three-quarters of all undergraduate credential earners each year in the past decade, according to the report.
- Students between the ages of 18 and 20 made up the largest share of all first-time associate degree earners in 2024-2025 compared with older age groups. Additionally, more students under 18 – almost four times as many as a decade ago – earned postsecondary credentials, likely through dual enrollment programs.
