Is College Worth It, and for Whom?

Conference: NCER/NCSER 2015 Principal Investigators Meeting
Date: December 11, 2015

This presentation reviewed the work of the National R&D Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE). The focus of the review was a synthesis of evidence from across the CAPSEE research studies oriented around the question, “Is college worth it, and for whom?” CAPSEE researchers described the design of the synthesis, including its sampling design, which draws on evidence from large-scale student-level datasets across eight states, and its methodological review, which will compare results obtained using different analytical strategies. The researchers presented evidence on the labor market returns to award completion (diplomas, certificates, and degrees), to subject, to sector, and to pathways through college.