Certificate Earnings Explorer: A National Tool for Exploring Certificate Program Outcomes

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Written By Michael Itzkowitz

June 16, 2026

The HEA Group is proud to announce the launch of the Certificate Earnings Explorer, a tool developed with Open Campus that allows users to explore and compare the economic outcomes of undergraduate certificate programs, analyzing federal data made available by the U.S. Department of Education.

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Press Release

A National Resource for Higher Education

The Certificate Earnings Explorer provides transparency into the outcomes of short-term credential programs across the United States. Users can search, filter, and compare 5,592 certificate programs representing more than 462,000 graduates across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The tool allows policymakers, researchers, institutional leaders, workforce agencies, journalists, and students to examine earnings outcomes by institution, field of study, state, graduate count, and earnings premiums above the typical high school graduate in each state.

The project originated through The HEA Group’s partnership with the University of Maryland's iConsultancy program, where undergraduate students used their capstone project to help The HEA Group explore innovative ways to make federal outcomes data more accessible. The concept was later expanded and scaled through a collaboration between The HEA Group and Open Campus.

Why This Matters Now

The launch comes as the federal government prepares to implement Workforce Pell on July 1, 2026.

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Congress expanded Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in qualifying short-term workforce training programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that approximately $1.5 billion in federal funding will be invested in these programs over the next decade.

While some certificate programs generate strong economic returns for students, research consistently demonstrates that outcomes vary significantly across institutions and fields of study. This data enables a more informed approach to Workforce Pell implementation nationwide by providing states with a better understanding of how well current certificate programs serve students before shorter programs are approved for Pell Grant eligibility. 

The Certificate Earnings Explorer provides policymakers and education leaders with the data needed to make more informed decisions about program quality, workforce alignment, and economic mobility.

Key Findings

National Scope

  • 5,592 undergraduate certificate programs analyzed

  • More than 462,000 graduates represented

  • Coverage across all 50 states and the District of Columbia

  • Program-level earnings outcomes are measured four years after completion

  • Earnings compared against the median high school graduate in each state

The Certificate Earnings Explorer is a joint project of Open Campus and The HEA Group. Analysis and methodology were developed by The HEA Group using publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education.

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