The real rate of return for university training is 15 percent or more for individuals, according to University World News. The average college graduate's earning allow him to recoup the costs of college tuition, fees, and foregone wages during the school years within a short period of time, according to the College Board. Furthermore, a college education yields higher paying careers for men and women of all races and ethnicities, and any amount of college experience results in a financial benefit, compared to having no post-secondary education. The gap in income between college graduates and non graduates has widened over time, notes the College Board.
Higher education also contributes to families. "Educational attainment plays an important role in income" when it comes to married couples, and "the higher their education level, the more that adults' household incomes have risen over the past four decades," according to the Pew Research Center. A higher percentage of college graduates enjoyed employer-provided pension benefits and health coverage, notes the College Board. In addition, children of college graduates display higher levels of college readiness than those of non-graduates and are also more likely to attend college and get higher paying jobs.
"Countries also benefit in indirect ways from the contributions of universities," according to University World News. According to KPMG, having educated adults results in "immediate economic stimulus plus increasing medium and long-term repayment to government and to the society." Graduates pay higher taxes to government than non-graduates, and the economy as a whole is stimulated by their skills and innovation. The up-front costs of higher education are relatively small compared to the large payoff to society, which include lower levels of unemployment and poverty, less dependence on the public budget and higher tax revenues.