Partnering with the Administration for Children and Families, the Social Innovation Fund, and Abt Associates, Year Up United is one of nine leading programs selected to take part in the federally-sponsored Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) Evaluation. An RCT measuring the impact of strategies for increasing economic self-sufficiency, this evaluation will produce three impact reports.

The latest PACE results, released in 2022, highlights 30% higher average earnings for Year Up United treatment group members at six years after graduation—the largest reported to date for workforce programs evaluated by the rigorous RCT method. Check out the groundbreaking results here.

With support from a federal grant from The Institute of Education Sciences, we are partnering with Abt Associates and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania on an evaluation of our Professional Training Corps model.

• To Improve and to Prove: A Development and Innovation Study of Year Up's Professional Training Corps (2021)
• Improvement Testing in the Year Up Professional Training Corps Model (2022)
• Project Evident Case Study. This case study describes a small randomized controlled trial (RCT), comparing alternative strategies for monitoring and supporting academic achievement in Year Up United's Professional Training Corps (PTC) program.

The Economic Mobility Corporation (EMC) and Year Up United conducted a two-year RCT impact evaluation at three sites using 165 Year Up United participants and 60 control group members. EMC’s president Mark Elliott called the 30% higher income for Year Up United students by year two, “the most exciting evaluation results we’ve seen in youth employment in 20 or 30 years — and the first to show a really substantial earnings gain.”

• A Promising Start: Year Up's Initial Impacts on Low-Income Young Adult's Careers (Roder & Elliott, 2011)
• Sustained Gains: Year Up's Continued Impact on Young Adults' Earnings (Roder & Elliott, 2014)

Results for America's Economic Mobility Catalog cites Year Up United as a proven program. See our case study in Charlotte, NC here.

Fostering a Feedback Culture

Feedback is a top priority at Year Up United. It’s how we get better. We deliver several surveys during our yearlong program and are proud to report a consistent 90%+ satisfaction rating from our students, partners, and graduates.

• Listen to podcast
• Equity and Career Advancement Insights from Underrepresented Employees

Surveying Our Alumni 

In fall 2021, Year Up United’s National Alumni Relations and Research & Evaluation teams surveyed Year Up United alumni across the country. We're proud to report that our alumni fare well compared to families earning less than $50K annually.

Please read the Executive Summary of findings from our 2021 Alumni Survey.