The Best of Both Worlds: Announcing a New Project on Degree Apprenticeship

Despite swirling questions, the surest path to economic security in the United States remains a college degree. But higher education can still be very expensive, and inequities in degree attainment still exist for low-income students and those from historically underrepresented groups. Meanwhile, apprenticeship programs have expanded dramatically in the past decade, providing more affordable paths into a range of occupations, from cybersecurity to the building trades. Yet in many of the fields where apprenticeships are growing quickly—particularly health care and education occupations—a degree may not only be necessary for upward career mobility, but for for initial licensure.

As it turns out, while higher education and apprenticeship each offer many benefits, there is a way for learners to have both at the same time: degree apprenticeship. In the degree apprenticeship model, learners engage in paid, mentored work-based learning emblematic of apprenticeship. Additionally, apprentices complete coursework that complements their on the job learning–known as related technical instruction–at an institution of higher education. In degree apprenticeship models, that related instruction culminates in a degree. Graduates of degree apprenticeships hold the same higher education credential as peers who took a traditional path to a degree but have also earned wages throughout their studies and benefited from structured opportunities to apply their classroom learning on the job.

Despite their promise, these models remain rare in the U.S., but interest in their earn-and-learn potential is growing. As degree apprenticeships emerge in the United States, it is important to understand where and how they are growing, what a high-quality degree apprenticeship looks like, and how future programs can learn from early adopters. However, data and analysis on these programs is still scattered, making it difficult to identify trends, name and address common challenges, and craft policy to support the development and sustainability of high-quality programs.

In response to this need, thanks to the support of the Strada Education Foundation, our team will be working through fall 2026 to conduct a landscape analysis of degree apprenticeships in the United States and develop a set of quality criteria for these programs. Findings from our research and the ensuing quality criteria will allow us to highlight exemplar programs and best practices, identify common barriers to developing and sustaining degree apprenticeships, and offer policy recommendations.

Throughout this project, our team will engage an advisory committee of leaders in the field with a wide range of expertise and experience to share. We are grateful to announce members of this committee supporting our work:

• Anthony Caison, Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education, Wake Technical Community College
• Andrew Cortés, Founder, President and CEO, Building Futures | Apprenticeship Rhode Island
• Eric Dunker, Chief Growth Officer, Reach University’s National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD)
• Juanita Glanton, Medical Assistant Apprentice, Arapahoe Community College
• Steve Jurch, Associate Vice President, Center for Policy and Practice, Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)
• Casey Kilpatrick, Director of Learning Services, Colorado Education Association
• Deborah Kobes, Senior Fellow for Apprenticeship and Workforce, Urban Institute
• Tyler Sturdivant, Associate Dean of Nursing, Coastal Alabama Community College
• Darice Trout, Senior Director of Job Placement & Workforce Solutions, William Rainey Harper College
• Katrina Vigil, State Apprenticeship Director, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions

We look forward to sharing insights as our research moves forward and as the integration of degree programs and apprenticeship provides new opportunities for learners and employers across the country.

Do you know of a degree apprenticeship to include in our analysis? Be sure to let us know.