US EditionIs college worth the cost? Universities work to show the return on investment of a degree
A 2023 study shows 70% of recent public university graduates in the U.S. can expect earnings to exceed high school graduates within 10 years, amid rising tuition and job market challenges.
- Thursday, the Strada Education Foundation released an analysis showing 70% of recent public university graduates can expect a positive return within 10 years, exceeding typical high school earnings by degree costs.
- Amid rising costs and debt, public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years as families and low-income students struggle with affordability and debt fears.
- Federal data going back to 2015 show College Scorecard reveals wide program-level differences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with 93% of bachelor's degrees producing positive lifetime returns.
- Policy action now links federal funding to earnings standards, as a Republican reconciliation bill passed this year requires most colleges to meet these standards, expanding on a 2011 federal rule targeting for-profit colleges.
- With students opting for alternatives, state-by-state variation shows returns from 52% in North Dakota to 70% in Washington, D.C., as colleges realign programs to employer needs.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Colleges Are Fighting to Prove Their Return on Investment
For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college — or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price? Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a dismal job market — plus ideological concerns from conservatives. Now, colleges are scramblin…
Is a college degree worth the price? Universities are scrambling to prove their worth
For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college — or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price?Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a dismal job market — plus ideological concerns from conservatives. Now, colleges are scrambling…
NBC Chicago
Is college worth the cost? Universities work to show return on investment for a degree
For many young Americans, deciding on college has become a complex choice. Increasingly, a main question is whether a degree is worth its cost.
As more question the value of a degree, colleges fight to prove their return on investment
This story was produced by the Associated Press and reprinted with permission. WASHINGTON – For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college — or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price? Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a …
Associated Press News
Is college worth the cost? Universities work to show the return on investment of a degree
For many young Americans, deciding on college has become a complex choice. Increasingly, a main question is whether a degree is worth its cost.
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