The Public Policy Institute of California explores whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs. Although most California parents (71%) want their children to graduate from college with at least a bachelor’s degree, about seven in ten (69%) worry about being able to afford a college education. Sticker shock and an understandable reluctance to take on debt lead many students and parents alike to wonder if college will actually yield higher earnings, better jobs,

Nearly half of employers say most jobs at their organization require a college degree to be successful. Three-quarters say a degree will be as important or more important five years from now. About three-quarters prefer candidates with associate or bachelor’s degrees, even when the job does not formally require one.

To better understand how first-generation-to-college, low-income students are thinking about the value of college, CARA conducted research that found the vast majority of young people, roughly 75%, still aspire to go to college and want to earn a degree.

When we account for student debt payments, degree holders still outearn those who do not complete a degree by an average of $8,000 a year.

The American Council on Education (ACE) has unveiled its Higher Education Economic Indicators Tool , a comprehensive database highlighting the economic value of postsecondary institutions across local, state, regional, and national economies. “ACE’s Higher Education Economic Indicators Tool demonstrates in concrete terms the value of American higher education and how important our institutions are as drivers of economic prosperity,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “Instituti

For a half century, the most recession-proof story in mainstream journalism has been declaring that college degrees aren’t recession-proof. Every economic downturn produces headlines warning that diplomas have lost—or are losing—their value. “Two things about these stories have remained constant,” Kevin Carey, who currently directs the education policy program at New America, wrote in The New Republic in 2011. “They always feature an over-educated bartender, and they are al

The U.S. economy is facing growing skills shortages in critical occupations due to an unmet need for workers with the postsecondary...

Higher education is under intensifying political and public scrutiny, facing challenges like federal funding freezes and overhauls of...

The 2025 State of Higher Education report provides new insight into the value Americans place on post-high school education — and what...

A college degree was once viewed as a surefire ticket to a good job and a clear pathway for upward mobility. However, concerns about the...