“In this month’s analysis, The Hamilton Project confirms its previous findings that the returns to college attendance are much higher than other investments, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate. We also find that the returns to college have been largely constant over the last 35 years, indicating that the rising tuition costs have been offset by the increased earnings premium for college graduates. Finally, we continue to explore the nation’s “jobs gap,” or the number of jobs that the U.S. economy needs to create in order to return to pre-recession employment levels.”

• Regardless of the Cost, College Still Matters – Full Employment Analysis
• Regardless of the Cost, College Still Matters – Technical Appendix
• See also: The Parent Loan Trap, by Marian Wang (ProPublica), Beckie Supiano, and Andrea Fuller: “As the cost of college spirals upward, the PLUS loan program has become indispensable for desperate parents. But the loans can often hurt the families they’re intended to help.” And – Explore the Data – What’s the Average Loan at Your Institution?