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Equalizing Educational Attainment Without Increasing Debt for Low-Income Students May Boost GDP

May 24, 2021

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Title: The Cost of Economic and Racial Injustice in Postsecondary Education

Source: Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce

In partnership with the Postsecondary Value Commission, the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University examined how inequalities in educational attainment harm the U.S. economy. The report details differences in degrees earned across economic status and race and ethnicity, establishes targets for educational attainment by race and ethnicity, and details both the monetary and nonmonetary benefits to society. Key insights include:

  • Inequalities in postsecondary attainment result in a loss of $956 billion per year to the U.S. economy.
  • Equalizing educational attainment would entail an initial investment of at least $3.97 trillion, though benefits would outweigh costs over time.
  • Closing educational gaps without increasing student debt for low-income students could boost GDP by $764 billion annually.

Click here to read the report.

—Anna Marie Ramos

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