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Educational attainment is a significant predictor of earning potential and occupational choice (Morales, 2000). Nearly 60% of jobs today require college-level skills. These jobs are the fastest growing, and they replace those that previously required only high school diplomas or less (Carnevale, 1999). According to Carnevale, 'An education's role in determining jobs and earnings has grown. Hispanics have lost ground by not increasing college attendance at the same rate as other groups' (p. 27). The research reported in this article uses the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) 2000 dataset to pursue issues surrounding the economic status of Hispanics in greater depth. The author delineates the difference in completion rates of an associate's degree (2 years and below) versus academic degrees (bachelor's and higher). The economic status differences of these student postdegree completers are then examined, along with the implications for policy.