The Brookings study [1] mentioned by the the Economist offers this interesting analysis: 1. Graduates of some colleges enjoy much more economic success than th

The Brookings study [1] mentioned by the the Economist offers this interesting analysis: 1. Graduates of some colleges enjoy much more economic success than their characteristics at time of admission would suggest. Colleges with high value-added in terms of alumni earnings are often focused on training for high-paying careers in technical subjects. ... 2. Four college quality factors are strongly associated with higher earnings for alumni: Curriculum value: The amount earned by people in the workforce who hold degrees in a field of study offered by the college, averaged across all the degrees the college awards; STEM orientation: The share of graduates prepared to work in STEM occupations; Completion rates: The percentage of students finishing their award within at least 1.5 times the normal time (three years for a two-year college, six years for a four-year college); Faculty salaries: The average monthly compensation of all teaching staff 3. Value-added measures are fairly reliable over time. ... (Personally, I think the most valuable things gained in college or in any education don't happen to have much monetary value.) [1] http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2015/10/29-earnings-data-college-scorecard-rothwell http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2015/10/29-earnin...