"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."
"Borrowed from the business world, the term "return on investment" has been plastered on college advertisements across the U.S. A battery of new rankings grade campuses on the financial benefits they deliver. States such as Colorado have started publishing yearly reports on the monetary payoff of college, and Texas now factors it into calculations for how much taxpayer money goes to community colleges."
College choice now requires evaluating financial returns due to high tuition, rising student debt, a weak job market, and ideological opposition. Institutions are emphasizing return on investment and promoting financial outcomes. New rankings and state reports measure monetary payoffs and influence funding decisions for community colleges. Research shows most bachelor's degrees deliver positive long-term earnings compared with only a high school diploma, but outcomes vary by state, degree, and cost. A Strada Education Foundation analysis finds 70% of recent public university graduates expect positive returns within ten years, with state results ranging from 53% to 82%.
Read at Fast Company
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