What is CTE?

• CTE prepares secondary and postsecondary students with academic, technical and employability skills for further education and careers in high-wage, in-demand occupations.
• CTE is delivered across a variety of settings, including middle schools, comprehensive high schools, CTE-specific high schools, area technical centers, community and technical colleges, four-year universities, and corrections and detention facilities.
• CTE encompasses a wide array of programs of study, from construction to supply chain and transportation; advanced manufacturing to arts, entertainment and design; energy to education; and digital technology to public service and safety.
• CTE programs are increasingly organized into vertical pathways that start with broad, foundational knowledge and skills and progress over time to incorporate more occupationally specific knowledge and skills.
• CTE programs incorporate educational credentials like postsecondary certificates and degrees as well as industry credentials like licenses and certifications.
• CTE enables students to explore careers and participate in work-based learning experiences like job shadows, internships and apprenticeships.
• CTE dual-credit opportunities increasingly enable learners to earn early postsecondary credits.
• CTE students go onto college, apprenticeships, the workforce, the military and more.

CTE By the Numbers (2023-24)

• On the secondary level, CTE programs served over 8.6 million high school students. Within that total, 3.8 million high school students were CTE concentrators, taking 2+ courses in the same CTE program area.
• On the postsecondary level, CTE programs served 3.3 million postsecondary students. That includes 1.8 million postsecondary students who were CTE concentrators, earning 12+ credits in a CTE program area (or less if the program is shorter).
• High school CTE students were most likely to concentrate in Health Science; Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; and Business and Marketing Career Clusters, while postsecondary CTE concentrators were most likely to concentrate in Health Science, Business and Marketing and IT.
• In the 29 states/territories that collect this data, about 236,000 secondary CTE concentrators participated in work-based learning.
• In the 22 states/territories that collect this data, about 434,000 secondary CTE concentrators earned a recognized postsecondary credential.
• In the 11 states/territories that collect this data, about 134,000 secondary CTE concentrators earned postsecondary credits in their CTE program area.