CourseCompare Releases 2026 Return on Education Index

TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- CourseCompare, Canada’s leading education marketplace, has released its 2026 Return on Education (ROE) Index, revealing that shorter, skills-focused credentials dominate early financial returns for Canadian graduates. The index, which compares 21 popular education and career pathways, provides a comprehensive analysis of graduate earnings, tuition costs, student debt, program duration, labour-market outlook, and exposure to automation.

The ROE Index scores each pathway against an average of 100, with scores above 100 indicating an above-average early-career return and scores below 100 indicating a below-average return. According to the findings, non-degree programs have taken the lead in early financial returns, with electrician training ranking first at both two and five years. Electrician training scores 177 at two years and 157 at five years, highlighting the significant financial benefits of shorter, skills-focused credentials.

While high-earning degrees gain ground over time, not all degrees catch up to their initial financial disadvantage. At two years, no bachelor’s degree scores above the Index average. By year five, engineering, computer science, and nursing have improved their scores, with engineering rising from 78 to 106, computer science from 82 to 104, and nursing from 82 to 101. In contrast, fine arts records the lowest five-year return with a score of 57, while education, business/commerce, economics, psychology, and biology remain below average.

The ROE Index underscores that salary alone can give a misleading picture of return. For instance, aviation and early childhood education illustrate opposite sides of the equation. Airline transport pilot license (ATPL) graduates can earn approximately $105,000 by year five, yet the program records a ROE score of 78 due to high training costs. In contrast, early childhood education graduates earn approximately $54,500 by year five but post a much stronger ROE score of 123 because training costs are lower and they begin earning sooner.

Career-focused pathways stand out among the strongest returns. Electrician training, which ranks first at both two and five years, is joined by fire fighter (129), early childhood education (123), automotive service technician (118), pharmacy technician/assistant (115), and practical nursing (112). These programs combine low-cost training, strong labour-market demand, and early earnings to produce attractive early-career returns.

An early advantage doesn't always last. For example, graphic design moves from an above-average ROE score of 107 at two years to 84 at five years, while marketing diplomas fall from 123 to 105. These results show that low-cost training can create an early advantage, but earnings growth becomes increasingly important over time.

The ROE Index arrives as students navigate a softer early-career job market and governments rethink which education pathways to expand. Canada’s youth unemployment rate stood at 12.9% in August, above its pre-pandemic average. In Ontario, the province recently allocated 40,000 additional college and university seats as part of a $1.7-billion expansion of more than 70,000 seats concentrated in STEM, health care, education, and the skilled trades, fields identified through regional labour-market needs, student demand, and input from employers.

Founder and CEO Robert Furtado of CourseCompare stated, "We're seeing more learners consider skilled trades and career-focused training as AI reshapes the knowledge economy. But a pathway's financial return on paper doesn't automatically make it the right choice for every learner. Program quality, work experience opportunities, industry connections, and a student's own interests, aptitudes, and ambitions still matter. The ROE Index can't eliminate uncertainty, but it gives people better evidence to understand the trade-offs and make a more informed decision."

The full 2026 Return on Education Index, including two- and five-year results, methodology, and an interactive calculator, is available at CourseCompare.ca/ROE-Index. CourseCompare connects learners directly with high-quality training and funding opportunities to prepare them for the future of work.