Source: The Campaign for College Opportunity

URL: http://www.collegecampaign.org/resources/research/ca-economic-payoff

CA’s Economic Payoff: Investing in College Access & Completion

Higher Education Investments Pay Off for California

California’s Economic Payoff: Investing in College Access & Completion is a new statewide report conducted by researchers at the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues at the University of California, Berkeley. It was commissioned by The Campaign for College Opportunity and co-released with the California Civil Rights Coalition and the California Chamber of Commerce. The report answers two questions: What are the benefits of investing in higher education? And, is it worth it for Californians?

This study concludes that the benefits of higher education extend well beyond the direct payoff for students and include substantial gains to the state, and it is indeed worth the investment. California´s higher education investments pay off for all of California, not only for the individuals who receive a college education through increased lifetime earnings, but for the state in increased tax revenue and reduced costs for social welfare programs and incarceration.

The benefit of the state’s investment in higher education is substantial:

• For every dollar California invests to get more students in and through college, it will receive a net return on investment of four dollars and fifty cents. That’s a net return of 450 percent.

• The return for those who complete college is twice as high—$4.80—than for those who enter but fail to complete college—$2.40.

• Past University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) graduates provide ongoing returns to the state averaging $12 billion annually, well above the current general fund expenditures for the UC, CSU, and California Community College systems combined.

Download any of the follow documents related to the report:

Executive Summary  Full Report    Key Findings  Webinar PowerPoint