Condition of Education 2026: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recently published the Condition of Education 2026, an annual report mandated by Congress that examines the state of K-12 and postsecondary education across the nation. Findings from the report include the following: 

• Public school enrollment in grades 9-12 increased by two percent from fall 2019 to fall 2024, totaling 15.5 million students. 

• From 2019-24, a higher percentage of female high school completers immediately enrolled in college compared to male high school completers (69% compared to 55% in 2024). 

• From fall 2014 to fall 2024, total undergraduate enrollment decreased by five percent (from 17.3 million to 16.4 million students).  

• The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds not working nor enrolled in school decreased from 16% in 2014 to 13% in 2024.  

• From 2013-14 to 2023-24, the number of postsecondary credentials awarded increased at every award level except for associate degrees, which experienced a two percent decrease overall. However, associate degree program enrollment in CTE fields of study has been increasing.  

Paid Work-based Learning: A national survey conducted by the Strada Foundation found that 43% of four-year college students and 26% of two-year college students have engaged in a paid work-based learning (WBL) experience, including internships, apprenticeships, co-ops and undergraduate research experiences. The researchers noted that two-year students are more likely to work full-time compared to four-year students, which may make WBL participation more difficult. Additional findings from the survey include the following: 

• Paid WBL experience varies by field of study, with engineering, business and computer science having the highest participation rates.  

• First-generation students and women are less likely to participate in a paid WBL experience for both two- and four-year colleges. 

• Students in better-resourced and more selective schools are more likely to participate in a paid WBL experience. 

• Four-year college students who receive education-to-career guidance, support and labor market information are more likely to participate in a paid WBL experience compared to those who did not receive such guidance.  

Support for Skilled Trades Education: A national survey from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools found that there is strong bipartisan support for skilled trades education, with 78% of Democrats and 80% of Republicans viewing reduced skilled trades coursework as a major problem across the nation. Ninety-five percent of voters also believe that students would benefit from more opportunities to study the skilled trades in high school. More findings from the survey include the following: 

• 84% of voters believe that the government should provide more funding for skilled trades programs, and 86% say elected officials should do more to support the skilled trades and hands-on learning in high school. Voters supported more federal and local funding for skilled trades coursework.  

• More than three-quarters of parents view skilled trades programs as very or extremely important, and eight in ten parents would encourage their child to take a skilled trades course if they were interested in doing so. 

• About half of the students surveyed are interested in taking a skilled trades course, but only three in ten have. One-third of students who want to take skilled trades courses are unable to because their school does not offer them or there are not enough seats.  

• Black and Hispanic students were significantly more likely to be on a waitlist for a skilled trades class compared to white students.  

• Students who take skilled trades courses reporting being more engaged and confident and feeling more college- and career-ready than those who do not.  

High-wage CTE Pathways: An article by Celeste K. Carruthers, Shaun Dougherty, Thomas Goldring, Daniel Kreisman, Roddy Theobald, Carly Urban and Jesús Villero in the Southern Economic Journal examines high school CTE enrollment patterns to assess how various student groups sort into high- and low-wage occupations. Using data from four states and one large metro area, the researchers found a strong negative relationship between Career Cluster potential earnings and the percent of CTE concentrators who are women. In other words, female students tend to concentrate in Clusters that are tied to lower-paying occupations, such as Hospitality and Tourism, Education and Human Services.  

The researchers examined other student groups and found that Clusters with higher enrollments of students who were ever eligible for free or reduced-price meals pay less after high school compared to other Clusters. In addition, in most states, students with disabilities tend to concentrate in lower-earning Clusters. Similarly, Clusters with more non-white students tend to have lower potential earnings.