GOING BACK TO SCHOOL: ADULT EDUCATION, EARNINGS TRAJECTORIES, AND RACIAL INEQUALITY AMONG WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

This study examines how adult education shapes long-term earnings trajectories and racial inequality, with a focus on Black and White women born between 1980 and 1984. Using random-intercept Poisson models, I assess how the timing of degree completion is associated with earnings outcomes, and how these associations vary by race. Results show that returning to school after a period of work is generally associated with sustained earnings growth and can help reduce inequalities rooted in disparities in pre-labor market education. However, there is significant racial variation in the magnitude of the earnings benefits associated with adult education. Black women tend to experience larger immediate earnings gains from mid-career BA attainment, but slower long-term growth relative to White women. In contrast, they see smaller short-term benefits but steeper post-degree earnings growth from MA completion. These findings suggest that adult education does not serve as a uniform equalizer and highlight the importance of examining how race, credential type, and the timing of degree attainment intersect to shape labor market returns. By emphasizing when and for whom adult education yields economic benefits, this study advances the literature of racial inequality that has predominantly focused on pre-labor market education and offers new insights into the racial dynamics of labor market outcomes among women.