Measuring the Economic Returns to Postsecondary Education at Scale
An Analytic Framework and Findings from Texas
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Key Findings
- On average, public postsecondary institutions in Texas produced positive cumulative net VAE for students seeking a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or certificate.
- STEM programs generated the highest cumulative net VAE, although outcomes varied widely by field of study.
- Students’ choice of program played a greater role in explaining differences in cumulative net VAE than their choice of institution.
- Higher degree completion rates were strongly linked to greater cumulative net VAE for students.
This study examines the economic returns of postsecondary education among public institutions in Texas using linked administrative data and a rigorous matching approach to compare students who enrolled in higher education with similar individuals who did not over the same period. The analysis estimates cumulative net value-added earnings (VAE) for students seeking a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or certificate, capturing their earnings gains after taking into account their net costs of attendance. In addition to this report, a companion website publishes our findings, summarizes our methodology and sample, and provides tools to explore and download additional results.
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