Who Counts in Higher Education? Non-Credit Enrollment in the 2025 SCCO

The Survey of Community College Outcomes (SCCO) is designed to capture the unique role community colleges play in educating and training students for the workforce. Students attend community colleges to pursue credit-bearing degrees and certificates, to enroll in credit courses for professional development, or for transfer toward a four-year degree. Additionally, students pursue community colleges for non-credit programming, such as short-term workforce-ready training programs and courses.

Non-credit students are not captured in federal higher education data but represent significant student population at community colleges across the country. During the 2023-2024 study year, data providers across eight states representing 159 community colleges reported serving more than 650,000 students enrolled exclusively in non-credit programs. Of those students, over 220,000 were enrolled in workforce-oriented programs that enable students to earn industry-recognized credentials.

Why Is Capturing Non-Credit Students So Difficult?

Higher education institutions have historically been assessed based on the enrollment and academic outcomes of students in credit-bearing courses. However, it has long been true that community colleges take on an important role in their local workforce development ecosystem by developing programs — including short-term non-credit programs — that align with the needs of local industries and with the preferences of local students. Despite their importance in communities, there are several impediments to quantifying the scale and impact of these programs.

• There are no federal reporting requirements for non-credit students. The U.S. Department of Education through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System defines non-credit education as "Courses or activities carrying no academic credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential at the institution or within the postsecondary educational system." As part of the Fall Institutional Characteristics module, institutions report on the types of non-credit programs they offer, but they do not report the number of students enrolled or their outcomes. Non-credit students have historically not been eligible for Pell Grant funding, though students in certain approved programs may now be eligible under the new Workforce Pell Grant program.
• State non-credit reporting requirements vary widely — and so does data quality and coverage. With no federal reporting requirements, state agencies are responsible for defining non-credit students and their outcomes. Data on non-credit students tends to be higher quality and more detailed in states like Maryland that factor non-credit students into operational funding formulas. Some states, like Virginia, prioritize data collection for specific non-credit workforce programs tied to designated funding streams. In some states, however, very little data exists on non-credit enrollment or success.
• Characteristics that make non-credit programs valuable (i.e., variability in program length, structure, industry application, and format) also make them difficult to measure consistently. Given the challenges around measurement and funding, why might a community college offer non-credit programs? Launching a new credit-bearing degree or certificate program often requires a lengthy approval process. Besides any workforce-specific training, programs often must meet minimum length requirements and require a general education curriculum. Community colleges leverage non-credit programs to provide an accelerated path to workforce-ready skills to connect students to high-demand occupations.

Defining Non-Credit Students and Credentials in the 2025 SCCO

Institutions and states use different terminology, such as "continuing education" or "workforce training," to characterize students who are enrolled exclusively in courses that do not translate directly into a credit-bearing degree or a certificate program. The SCCO distinguishes students in these programs from those in non-credit courses that provide critical skills and prepare them for postsecondary training (like learning English language skills or completing a GED) and personal interest or lifestyle courses (like cake decorating or basic photography).

The definition of award-seeking students is purposely broad to reflect the diverse program offerings community colleges use to prepare students for jobs in local industry. Unlike degree programs, there is no minimum time period or contact hour threshold that a non-credit workforce-oriented program must meet to qualify as an award program. These programs are defined instead by the direct tie to an industry-recognized credential. A credential may be a non-credit certificate issued by the institution, but in most cases, these programs prepare a student for a certification exam or industry licensure.

While non-credit students comprise a nominal share of award-seeking students overall, the 222,275 students captured across 159 colleges represent an important segment of community college students enrolled in workforce programs who do not show up in credit enrollment.

Overall, roughly a 22 percent share of award-seeking students were enrolled exclusively in non-credit programs. However, the completeness of non-credit data varies across states and institutions. In many states, the headcount of non-credit award-seeking students is a lower-bound estimate of students enrolled in workforce-oriented non-credit programs. States where workforce programming and data collection have been prioritized offer a view on both the variation in the distribution of credit and non-credit award seekers across institutions. Comparing institutions within a state like Iowa, which has a robust non-credit data collection framework and high-quality data on non-credit award-seeking students, reinforces that non-credit programming is a tool that community colleges use in different ways to meet the needs of their students.

Who is opting for non-credit award-seeking programs? Aggregate results from the 2025 SCCO suggest non-credit workforce programs can make higher education a viable and compelling option for students who otherwise might not enroll in college. For example, adult learners often require more flexibility than a traditional academic calendar, and non-credit programming may be a better fit for their schedules. In measures of traditional credit programs, male college enrollment has lagged female college enrollment for decades. Data on non-credit enrollment suggests short-term workforce programs may be geared toward male students in ways not well represented in the data.

Conclusion

Capturing institution-level data that reflects both the traditional role of community colleges and the ways they evolve to meet the needs of students and employers is critical. Despite the limited availability of high-quality enrollment data in non-credit workforce programs at community colleges, 2025 SCCO findings illustrate the importance of understanding this segment of students who are often missing from traditional higher education data. The recent introduction of the Workforce Pell Grant program and the increased interest in understanding the value of postsecondary training in the workforce has accelerated efforts to build and refine the non-credit data infrastructure already underway in many states.

Views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond or the Federal Reserve System.