“Green” jobs that contribute to preserving the environment are among the fastest-growing careers in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With the rising need for workers to fill these positions—and surging interest among students in environmental careers—community colleges are creating new courses, certifications, and degree programs to meet the demand.

For years, stakeholders have sought to define what, exactly, Americans value from their education. Many focused on wages, in part due to studies demonstrating that college graduates earn more over a lifetime than their non-graduate peers. But the answer might not be related to wages at all.

Instead, a new report suggests people see more value in their education when their courses strongly relate to their work, and when they have high-quality, applied-learning experiences and top-notch career and academic advising opportunities.