Career Academies — MDRC Long-Term Evaluation
MDRC · Multiple US cities · 1993
Summary
The Career Academies evaluation is one of the longest-running randomized studies in US education policy. Eight years after expected graduation, young men who had attended career academies earned 17% more annually than control group peers — a substantial, sustained effect. The finding is notable for several reasons: the program worked at scale (9 schools, multiple cities), the effect persisted for nearly a decade, and it had differential effects by gender (significant for men, null for women) — raising questions about which mechanisms drove the result. The most likely explanations are the employer networks that created initial job access, the cohort structure that built social capital, and the reduced isolation that kept at-risk students engaged. The study is a benchmark for how long rigorous educational evaluations need to follow participants before the most important outcomes are observable.
Research question
"Do career academies — small learning communities within high schools that combine academic curriculum with career-relevant technical training and employer partnerships — improve labor market outcomes for at-risk youth?"
Methodology
Intervention
Career academies organized 200–300 students into cohorts sharing teachers and curriculum focused on a career theme (health, finance, technology, etc.); included employer partnerships providing internships and mentorship. Students applied and were randomly assigned to academies or to standard high school when demand exceeded supply.
Assignment
Randomized controlled trial via oversubscription lottery across 9 high schools in 8 cities; 1,457 students followed 8 years post-graduation
Sample size
1,457 students (929 academy, 528 control) across 9 urban high schools
Primary outcome
Annual earnings 8 years after expected high school graduation; employment rate; family formation
Effect estimate
Earnings at 8-year follow-up: +11% for all participants ($16,600 vs. $14,900); young men: +17% ($1,728 per year); no effect for young women; males also had higher rates of living with romantic partners and children — interpreting as more stable family formation
Decision
Career academy model expanded significantly; number of US career academies grew from ~1,500 (1990) to ~7,000+ (2020); National Career Academy Coalition cites MDRC evidence; model influenced CTE (Career and Technical Education) Perkins Act reauthorizations
Result
Positive
Earnings at 8-year follow-up: +11% for all participants ($16,600 vs. $14,900); young men: +17% ($1,728 per year); no effect for young women; males also had higher rates of living with romantic partners and children — interpreting as more stable family formation
Evidence strength
Strong
Randomized controlled trial with large sample.
Replication status
Partially replicated
Institution
MDRC
Location
Multiple US cities
Year
1993
Policy area
Education
Mechanism
Human capital