The Cost of Economic and Racial Injustice in Postsecondary Education
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Racial Justice and Equity

The Cost of Economic and Racial Injustice in Postsecondary Education

The Next Frontier: The Non-Monetary Benefits of Postsecondary Education

Posted: May 11, 2021
Author(s): Anthony P. Carnevale, Kathryn Peltier Campbell, Ban Cheah, Megan L. Fasules, Artem Gulish, Michael C. Quinn, Jenna R. Sablan, Nicole Smith, Jeff Strohl, and Sarah Barrese
Organization(s): Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce and the Postsecondary Value Commission

A new report examines the costs of inequality in the U.S. education system. The study found that the U.S. economy misses out on $956 billion dollars per year, along with numerous non-monetary benefits, as a result of postsecondary attainment gaps by economic status and race/ethnicity. Closing these gaps would require an initial public investment of at least $3.97 trillion, but the benefits would outweigh the costs over time. Equalizing educational attainment without increasing student debt for low-income adults could also boost GDP by a total of $764 billion annually.

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