For questions about content or to view this report online, go to 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2014901. 

FIGURE 1. Average number of credits earned in each subject area by 

public high school graduates, 1990 to 2009 

NOTE: Tabular data for averages and their standard errors are available in tables H125 and SH125, at 

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/index.asp?LEVEL=SECONDARY. CTE is defined in the glossary at 

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/glossary_secondary.asp. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Study, 1990, 2000, 

2005, and 2009. 

Overall coursetaking in Career 

and Technical Education (CTE) 

has declined. 

From 1990 to 2009, the average 

number of CTE credits earned by U.S. 

public high school graduates declined, 

from 4.2 to 3.6, while the average 

number of credits earned in other 

subject areas increased (figure 1). 

 Coursetaking in occupational areas, 

such as agriculture and natural 

resources or business, dropped from 

2.7 to 2.5 credits (not in figure). 

 In nonoccupational areas (i.e., 

general labor market preparation 

and consumer and family studies), 

CTE coursetaking dropped from 1.5 

to 1.1 credits (not in figure). 

 In contrast, average credits earned 

in core academic fields (i.e., English, 

mathematics, science, and social 

studies) rose between 1990 and 

2009 (figure 1). 

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

1990 2000 2005 2009

Number 

of credits

Year

English

Social 

studies

Mathematics

CTE

Science

Fine arts

Foreign 

languages

CTE

Trends in CTE Coursetaking

N

U.S. DEPARTMENT

CE

OF EDUCATION 

SDATA POINT

NOVEMBER 2013 NCES 2014-901 
Despite an overall decline in CTE credits, coursetaking in areas such as communications and 

health care have increased. 

The percentage of graduates who earned credit in any 

occupational CTE area declined from 88 percent in 1990 to 

85 percent in 2009. However, within occupational CTE, the 

direction and magnitude of change differed by specific 

occupational area (figure 2). 

 Occupational areas with declining participation were 

business, manufacturing, computer and information 

sciences, engineering technologies, and repair and 

transportation, with business being the area of largest 

decline (figure 2). 

 Occupational areas with increasing participation were 

communications and design, health care, public 

services, and consumer and culinary services, with 

communications and design being the area of largest 

increase (figure 2). 

This NCES Data Point presents information on education topics of 

current interest. It was authored by Lisa Hudson of NCES. All 

estimates shown are based on samples and are subject to sampling 

variability. All differences are statistically significant at the .05 level. 

In the design, conduct, and data processing of National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) surveys, efforts are made to minimize the 

effects of nonsampling errors, such as item nonresponse, 

measurement error, data processing error, or other systematic error. 

FIGURE 2. Change in the percentage of public high school graduates earning credits in each occupational area 

from 1990 to 2009 

*Significantly different (p < .05) from zero. 

NOTE: Tabular data for percentages and their standard errors are available in tables H126 and SH126, at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/index.asp?LEVEL=SECONDARY. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Study, 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2009. 

-3.3

-19.2

-9.5

-3.9

-2.6

-2.1

-0.7

0

1.6

4.2

5.8

7.1

11.2

-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

Percentage point change

Communications and design*

Health care*

Public services*

Consumer and culinary services*

Agriculture and natural resources

Marketing

Construction and architecture

Repair and transportation*

Engineering technologies*

Computer and information sciences*

Manufacturing*

Business*

All occupational areas*