68 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2009 Assessing Postcollege Earnings of Career and Technical Education Students in Iowa Community Colleges Frankie Santos Laanan Iowa State University Soko S. Starobin Iowa State University Jonathan I. Compton Iowa State University Janice Nahra Friedel California State University, Northridge Abstract Career and technical education (CTE) programs are a key link to career paths for many students. e purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between educational attainment, individual characteristics, and postcollege earnings for students enrolled in Iowa community colleges. Analysis for all students by gender, age, and Pell grant status is presented. e article concludes with a discussion of the implications for practice, policy, and research. Approximately two thirds of individuals in the United States complete high school but do not receive a bachelor’s degree (NCES, 2005). is group of individuals has been referred to as “the neglected majority” (Parnell, 1985; Stone, 2005). Many of these individuals are served by community colleges, and over half of all community college students and about 30% of all postsecondary students are enrolled in occupational programs, defined as programs at the prebaccalaureate level intended to lead directly to employment (Bailey, Leinbach, Scott, Alfonso, Kienzl, & Kennedy, 2004). In addition, jobs requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree are becoming an increasing portion of the job market (NCES, 2000). In light of the size of