About the Project

This project measures the economic return on investment (ROI) of postsecondary institutions at the local level. We build upon earlier definitions of economic ROI proposed by the Postsecondary Value Commission in 2021. We combine institutional earnings provided by the College Scorecard with Census microdata measured at the commuting zone level. We then examine institutional earnings relative to three economic ROI metrics defined by the Postsecondary Value Commission: Minimum Economic Return; Earnings Premium; and Economic Mobility.

For more information, read our report.