Parent Views on Postsecondary Education and Career Paths: A report from Britebound examines parents’ views on various postsecondary and career pathways. The researchers surveyed over 2,200 middle and high school parents nationwide in 2025 and found the following: 

• Parents increasingly view CTE as an option for high-achieving students—35% in 2025 compared to 13% in 2019. 

• Although most parents prefer traditional college degrees for their children, 17% prefer that their child pursue a nondegree pathway, up from 11% in 2019. 

• 98% of parents see at least one benefit in nondegree pathways, particularly hands-on learning (60%) and high demand for skilled workers (55%). 

• Most parents are familiar with different types of nondegree pathways, including trade/technical schools, apprenticeship programs and industry certifications. 

• Parents who prefer nondegree pathways for their child identified as their top reasons why “they’ll learn skills for a specific career” (34%), “this will provide the best experience suited to my child’s interests and/or academic needs” (32%) and “it will increase their chances of being hired” (28%). 

Work-based Learning in Prison: A study conducted by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison and the American Institutes for Research examines the landscape of work-based learning (WBL) prison programs in 11 states. After conducting a policy scan and interviewing officials from state correctional agencies, the researchers compiled their findings into four broad categories: 

• Buy-in and Championship: Support from state education and correctional agencies is key in creating and expanding WBL opportunities. Most states in the study indicate they receive support from state leaders as well as employers; however, several also noted pushback they face when providing incarcerated individuals with access to technology or free programming. 

• Policy Pathway: Most states have policies that govern how WBL programs function, with greater or lesser flexibility for creating new opportunities, that can be leveraged to create new WBL programs in prisons. However, coordination among education, labor, correctional and other state agencies remains a challenge, and some states have laws that prohibit incarcerated individuals from accessing the internet or earning wages for work. 

• Education, Training and Work Experience: State leaders leverage existing education and workforce programs to provide incarcerated individuals with experiences such as CTE and Registered Apprenticeship. However, resource and policy constraints limit the opportunities available to individuals.   

• Infrastructure Readiness: States face significant infrastructure barriers when implementing WBL programs in prisons, including outdated facilities and payment processing systems. Remote WBL experiences require technology with specific software tailored to security protocols, and off-site work introduces logistical challenges relating to who provides and funds transportation. 

Mapping the Landscape of Degree Apprenticeship: A report from New America examines the landscape of degree apprenticeship programs—a model that integrates Registered Apprenticeship programs with associate and bachelor’s degrees.  

After conducting a nationwide scan, the researchers found that degree apprenticeship programs are concentrated in teaching and education (33%), construction (13%) and maintenance and repair (13%). Furthermore, seven of the 10 occupations most commonly found using degree apprenticeships pay above the median annual wage. In addition, about two-thirds of degree apprenticeship programs are awarded at the associate degree level, the majority applied science degrees. Three states—Alabama, Illinois and North Carolina—account for more than a quarter of total offerings across the nation, owing to specific policies in those states. 

In addition to the landscape analysis, an expert panel developed a set of principles that define what high-quality degree apprenticeship programs should look like. These principles include ensuring programs offer wraparound supports and aligning academic coursework with industry-relevant competencies.  

Fall 2025 Postsecondary Enrollment: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently released fall 2025 postsecondary enrollment data. Major takeaways from the data include the following: 

• Total undergraduate enrollment grew by 1.2% compared to the previous fall, with community college enrollment increasing the most (+3%). Enrollment in community colleges with a high vocational focus increased by 2.9%. 

• Growth in undergraduate certificate (+1.9%) and associate degree programs (+2.2%) outpaced growth in bachelor’s degree programs (+0.9%). 

• Trade-related programs in community colleges experienced enrollment growth, including mechanic and repair technicians (+6%), construction trades (+5%) and engineering technicians (+4.9%). Health care (+7.7%) and personal and culinary services (+4.4%) also experienced enrollment growth in community colleges. 

• Dual enrollment students grew by 3%, making up 10.3% of all undergraduates. 

• Multiracial (+4.6%), Black (+3.8%), Asian (2.9%) and Hispanic (+2.6%) students experienced undergraduate enrollment growth, while white students experienced a 2.5% enrollment decline.