Community College Credential Dual Value Framework: A framework from Education Equity Solutions outlines how state and community college leaders can categorize and strengthen the value of the credentials they offer, particularly as Workforce Pell implementation approaches. 

The framework measures community college credentials based on their economic mobility for individual students and the community benefits they provide by supporting essential social functions. Credentials are assigned to four different categories, and the framework provides strategies on how leaders can measure, categorize and take action on specific credentials. The categories are the following: 

• Low-opportunity Credentials: Low individual and community benefits. The framework recommends either revising these credentials by integrating work-based learning experiences or connecting students with other opportunities. 
• Individual-value Credentials: High individual and low community benefits. These credentials should be monitored to ensure that their demand aligns with community needs. 
• Community-value Credentials: Low individual and high community benefits. These are credentials that connect students with low-wage jobs that support essential community functions. The framework recommends stacking these credentials with similar, higher-level credentials and providing students with financial resources to pursue those more advanced credentials. 
• Dual-value Credentials: High individual and community benefits. Students should be able to easily access these credentials, and community colleges are encouraged to scale these programs and remove barriers that prevent participation.  

Counting Credentials: A report from Credential Engine provides data on the number of unique credentials offered in the U.S. in 2025. In total, the report identified about 1.8 million unique credentials from over 130,000 providers. The count for specific credentials includes the following:

Additional disaggregated data as well as a state-by-state breakdown are provided. Other than secondary school diplomas and industry certifications, each credential type increased in number of offerings in 2025 compared to 2022. 

A companion piece outlines the current landscape and challenges surrounding the credential landscape and proposes various solutions and paths forward. These include harnessing the power of AI to match credentials with workers’ and employers’ needs, measuring the economic and social impact of credential attainment and better aligning credentials with career opportunities. 

Employers’ Perceived Value of High School Industry-recognized Credentials: A journal article by Teri Harris, Mickey Kosloski and Philip A. Reed in Career and Technical Education Research (CTER) examines how employers perceive industry-recognized credentials earned by high school students. Over 250 employers from a specific state were asked to rank a list of state-approved industry-recognized credentials in their industry from 1 (never heard of it) to 5 (most important), judging whether the credential is valuable for hiring and prepares students for future careers.  

Analysis of the survey data revealed that industry credentials in the health sciences, family and consumer sciences (FACS) and agricultural sciences were rated the highest, while business and marketing and skilled and technical sciences/STEM did not have any industry credentials that ranked in the top 20%. Although some credentials appear to have more value than others, the analysis indicates that all the credentials measured in the study have at least some value for employers. The authors recommend that high school CTE programs reassess the credentials they offer in light of these findings.  

State Investments in Short-term Credential Pathways: A report from HCM Strategists analyzes state investments and initiatives in the short-term credential landscape. The report found that states have invested nearly $10 billion in supporting and expanding short-term credential pathways, including $8.1 billion for 111 currently active initiatives across 34 states. Of this, $4.5 billion is comprised of initiatives exclusively supporting short-term credentials. 2025 saw significant action, with states investing $511 million to establish 26 new initiatives. Several of these include the following: 

• California Master Plan for Career Education: Released in April 2025, the plan outlines six key areas that state leaders should focus on to improve the state’s career education system. The areas include establishing a state coordinating body and ensuring that education and workforce training opportunities are accessible and affordable.  
• North Carolina Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships (EO 11): Established under Executive Order 11, the council is focused on expanding credential and degree attainment opportunities across the state, including pre- and Registered Apprenticeship programs as well as work-based learning opportunities. 
• Utah’s First Credential Scholarship (HB 260): The First Credential Scholarship, which replaces the PRIME Program, encourages high school students to earn an industry-recognized credential and aims to scale credentialing opportunities across the state. 

Practitioners interested in learning about other similar state-led initiatives can view ACTE and Advance CTE’s longitudinal state policy tracker and filter by the “industry-recognized credentials” tag. Additionally, the National Association of State Boards of Education recently released a series of articles examining how states can equip students with the skills and credentials needed to succeed in the workforce.