V. Conclusion

Degree apprenticeship isn’t a brand-new model. Some colleges have, without fanfare, offered degree apprenticeships for years or even decades. But until recently, when the model gained more attention in the United States and new programs began emerging at a rapid clip, it has remained relatively unstudied in this country.

This report provides a first-of-its-kind overview of the state of degree apprenticeships in the United States, where these opportunities exist, what they look like, and what design elements make these programs strong. We hope this paper establishes a baseline of knowledge about this promising model and that the landscape analysis, quality criteria, and findings we have identified here can help guide practitioners, policymakers, and fellow researchers in advancing and strengthening degree apprenticeships in the United States.

There are many, many questions we did not and could not explore in this single paper. We will dig into a few of those with three companion pieces coming later this year. We will publish two industry-specific briefs exploring health care and education degree apprenticeships in more depth, as well as a set of state and federal policy recommendations to help expand high-quality degree apprenticeships across the country. Our research will continue.