Obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree from a Community College: Earnings Outlook and Prospects for Graduate Studies

University graduates generally earn more than community college graduates, both shortly after graduation and for many years thereafter (Frenette 2019). This may partially reflect the fact that university programs are generally longer in duration. Most university students enroll in a four-year bachelor’s degree program, whereas most college students enroll in a one-year certificate program or in a two- or three-year diploma program. Recently, some colleges (mostly situated in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) have been offering four-year bachelor’s degree programs. Given the emergence of these new offerings, it would be informative for students, parents, education planners and employers to know whether college bachelor’s degree (CBD) programs are associated with similar labour market and educational pathways as university bachelor’s degree (UBD) programs.