Measuring the Economic Returns to Postsecondary Education at Scale: An Analytic Framework and Findings from Texas
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| Title: | Measuring the Economic Returns to Postsecondary Education at Scale: An Analytic Framework and Findings from Texas |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jonah Deutsch, Whitney Kozakowski, Naihobe Gonzalez, Jessica Wagner, Mathematica |
| Source: | Mathematica. 2026. |
| Availability: | Mathematica. P.O. Box 2393, Princeton, NJ 08543. Tel: 609-799-3535; Fax: 609-799-0005; e-mail: publications@mathematica-mpr.com; Web site: https://www.mathematica.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 126 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Postsecondary Education Higher Education Two Year Colleges High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Postsecondary Education, Outcomes of Education, Bachelors Degrees, Associate Degrees, Educational Certificates, In State Students, Income, Economic Impact, High School Graduates, Individual Characteristics, College Choice, Course Selection (Students) |
| Geographic Terms: | Texas |
| Abstract: | There is growing interest among the public and policymakers in measuring the economic value of postsecondary institutions and programs at scale. However, estimating the impacts of institutions and programs on students' earnings net of costs is challenging. The Postsecondary Commission contracted with Mathematica to design and implement an approach to measuring at scale the economic value that institutions and programs create for students who enroll, relative to what these students would experience if they did not enroll in postsecondary education. Using individual-level administrative data from Texas, the study focuses on students enrolling in-state in two- and four-year public institutions seeking a bachelor's degree, associate's degree, or certificate between the 2008-09 and 2018-19 academic years. For each degree type, the authors estimate the impact of enrolling in an institution or program on students' cumulative earnings after five, 10, or 15 years (depending on whether a student is seeking a certificate, associate's degree, or bachelor's degree, respectively) by comparing students' earnings with those of a matched comparison group of similar individuals who did not enroll in postsecondary education during this follow-up period. The analysis includes all enrollees in an institution or program, regardless of whether they completed their degree. The authors then subtract the cost of attendance, net of any grant aid and tuition waivers, to calculate cumulative net value-added earnings (hereafter, "cumulative net VAE"). The study uses these cumulative net VAE measures to understand the average economic value of enrolling in different degree types and how this varied across institutions, program of study, and demographic groups. [This report was co-produced with the Postsecondary Commission.] |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 20260101 |
| Accession Number: | ED682689 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | There is growing interest among the public and policymakers in measuring the economic value of postsecondary institutions and programs at scale. However, estimating the impacts of institutions and programs on students' earnings net of costs is challenging. The Postsecondary Commission contracted with Mathematica to design and implement an approach to measuring at scale the economic value that institutions and programs create for students who enroll, relative to what these students would experience if they did not enroll in postsecondary education. Using individual-level administrative data from Texas, the study focuses on students enrolling in-state in two- and four-year public institutions seeking a bachelor's degree, associate's degree, or certificate between the 2008-09 and 2018-19 academic years. For each degree type, the authors estimate the impact of enrolling in an institution or program on students' cumulative earnings after five, 10, or 15 years (depending on whether a student is seeking a certificate, associate's degree, or bachelor's degree, respectively) by comparing students' earnings with those of a matched comparison group of similar individuals who did not enroll in postsecondary education during this follow-up period. The analysis includes all enrollees in an institution or program, regardless of whether they completed their degree. The authors then subtract the cost of attendance, net of any grant aid and tuition waivers, to calculate cumulative net value-added earnings (hereafter, "cumulative net VAE"). The study uses these cumulative net VAE measures to understand the average economic value of enrolling in different degree types and how this varied across institutions, program of study, and demographic groups. [This report was co-produced with the Postsecondary Commission.] |
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