A new Brookings Institution brief highlights which community colleges are producing “credentials of value” and recommends policy shifts for states and federal agencies. The brief defines credentials of value as certificates worth at least $45,000 and associate degrees worth $50,000 in annual salary, using IPEDS-based rankings. Colleges doing best intentionally align offerings with local, high-demand jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and provide extensive work-based learning, including apprenticeships, internships, clinical rotations, work-site visits, and service learning. The brief also emphasizes wraparound advising and job-preparation coursework embedded into the academic experience. It further recommends that state policymakers consider performance-based funding and technical assistance to interpret labor market data, alongside requirements and funding for individualized learning plans. At the federal level, it calls for funding to strengthen work-based learning and career guidance at community colleges and help build data infrastructure needed for “Workforce Pell.” The development matters for higher education because it directly links program design and institutional support systems to measurable labor-market outcomes.