Benefits to individuals include:
• There is a correlation between higher levels of
education and higher earnings for all racial/ethnic
groups and for both men and women.
• The income gap between high school graduates and
college graduates has increased significantly over time.
The earnings benefit to the average college graduate is
high enough for graduates to recoup both the cost of
full tuition and fees and earnings forgone during the
college years in a relatively short period of time.
• Any college experience produces a measurable benefit
when compared with no postsecondary education,
but the benefits of completing a bachelor’s degree or
higher are significantly greater.