Closing Wage Gaps: A Program Level Analysis. Presented by Dallas College's Dave Mahan, Beatriz Joseph, and Ben Magill at the AACC 2022 Annual Conference in New York City.
Return on Investment (ROI)
- Ample literature, but limited: single metric, oversimplified, not actionable.
- It's more than rankings! It's about equity.
- Small wage gaps compound over time--sometimes to millions of dollars.
- Returns often differ by race or ethnicity, gender, and family income level.
- Students need transparent, accurate measures of ROI to make informed decisions around higher ed and careers.
- Building a Talent Strong Texas:
- Postsecondary credential for 60% of Texans ages 25-64 by 2030.
- 95% of students will graduate with no undergraduate debt or manageable levels of debt in relation to potential earnings.
ROI = Future Earnings minus High School Graduate Earnings minus College Costs
Dallas College Student Profile
- Headcount: 125,285
- 46% First-Generation
- 60% Female
- 54% Pell Eligible
- Racially/Ethnically Diverse
- 49% Hispanic
- 21% Black
- 16% White
- 7% Asian
- 2% Multiple Races
- <1% from Other Groups
Mixed Methods Study of ROI at Dallas College:
Institutional & Large Academic Programs. Business, Computer Systems Networking & Telecom, and Nursing
In Dallas College's Business program, 91.1% of graduates are employed in-field. Graduates employed in the general business administration and/or management field earn $1.55 for every dollar earned by those employed out of field. There are wage gaps across demographic groups: Female graduates of the business program earn 93 cents for every dollar earned by male graduates of the business program. Pell-eligible graduates of the business program earn 94 cents for every dollar earned by non-Pell-eligible graduates of the business program. Non-White graduates of the business program earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic graduates of the business program.
In Dallas College's Computer Systems Networking and Telecom (CSNT) program, 74.9% of graduates are employed in-field. Graduates employed in the computer systems networking and/or telecommunications field earn $1.36 for every dollar earned by those employed out of field. There are wage gaps across demographic groups: Female graduates of the CSNT program earn $1.04 for every dollar earned by male graduates of the CSNT program. Pell-eligible graduates of the CSNT program earn 91 cents for every dollar earned by non-Pell-eligible graduates of the CSNT program. Non-White graduates of the CSNT program earn $1.01 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic graduates of the CSNT program.
In Dallas College's Nursing program, 91.9% of graduates are employed in-field. Graduates employed in the nursing field earn $1.29 for every dollar earned by those employed out of field. There are wage gaps across demographic groups: Female graduates of the nursing program earn 89 cents for every dollar earned by male graduates of the nursing program. Pell-eligible graduates of the nursing program earn 97 cents for every dollar earned by non-Pell-eligible graduates of the nursing program. Non-White graduates of the nursing program earn $1.01 for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic graduates of the nursing program.
Key Qualitative Findings:
- Career services and professional development can help close gaps.
- Faculty-student relationships critical in development of soft skills, perseverance, networking
- Institutional support critical through Guided Pathways, Learner Care model, Workforce Development