In 2021, the Ohio Department of Higher Education established a new process to ensure that Ohioans could receive college credit for industry credentials at public colleges across the state. Other states are pursuing similar initiatives. The authors examine evidence on which individuals might benefit from credit for industry credentials and identify useful outreach approaches that states and colleges might use to promote these opportunities.

College Credit for Industry Credentials

Identifying Who Might Benefit and Strategies for Outreach

Jonah Kushner, Lindsay Daugherty, Elaine W. Leigh, Jenna W. Kramer, Nikki Wearly

ResearchPublished Apr 14, 2026

Many state agencies and college systems are engaged in initiatives to expand the opportunities for individuals to earn college credit for prior learning. Awarding college credit for industry credentials, military training, and other types of prior learning can establish on-ramps into college and build on the knowledge and skills that individuals bring with them. In 2021, the Ohio Department of Higher Education established a new process to ensure that Ohioans could receive college credit for industry credentials at public colleges across the state.

The authors partnered with the Ohio Department of Higher Education to build evidence around its new initiative to scale credit for industry credentials. The authors first describe the national population of individuals in the country with industry credentials who would most likely enroll in college — the likely beneficiaries of credit for industry credentials policies. They then explore evidence from Ohio on what messages and messengers might be the most promising for outreach about college credit for industry credentials. Finally, the authors describe how Ohio conducted state and community college outreach around the new initiative. The authors' findings may be relevant to state agencies and college systems across the United States that are pursuing similar credit for prior learning initiatives.

Key Findings

  • As states decide to pursue credit for prior learning initiatives, they should consider how many students might benefit from the initiative and weigh benefits against costs.
  • Outreach on credit for prior learning is primarily targeted at individuals who are already enrolling in college, and the evidence confirms that it may be best to focus on these individuals. The authors estimated that only one in four individuals with an industry credential might be likely to enroll in college. The authors also found that individuals with industry credentials did not view college credit opportunities as a factor that would change their views on college enrollment.
  • Community colleges should offer clear information about credit for prior learning on their websites, require advisers to discuss credit for prior learning, and ensure broader staff awareness. Colleges should also consider ways to enhance outreach through systematic screening, stronger industry engagement, and data use.
  • States can provide supportive resources that may be helpful in getting the word out about credit for prior learning initiatives. For example, the Ohio Department of Higher Education created websites that allow individuals to search for credit for prior learning opportunities and college staff to search for information on the state's initiatives. States could also potentially play a role in coordinating with employers and industry credential providers to spread the word about credit for prior learning.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Kushner, Jonah, Lindsay Daugherty, Elaine W. Leigh, Jenna W. Kramer, and Nikki Wearly, College Credit for Industry Credentials: Identifying Who Might Benefit and Strategies for Outreach. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4918-1.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation and conducted in the Education and Employment Program of RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.