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Strengthening the Economic Value Generated by Public Four-Year Colleges

Published July 2026
Strengthening the Economic Value Generated by Public Four-Year Colleges

Public four-year colleges generate economic value that extends far beyond individual graduates. The Economic Value Simulator estimates the Economic Value Contribution generated by public four-year colleges in every state and shows how policy choices can strengthen higher education’s return for students, communities, and state economies. Explore the national and state data, compare outcomes, and model how improvements in affordability, college completion, and workforce outcomes can increase economic value.

How Public Higher Education Strengthens the Economy

The Economic Value Simulator measures Economic Value Contribution—the additional income generated by bachelor’s degree recipients after accounting for the cost of earning a degree and the number of students who graduate. Built using the Postsecondary Value Commission’s framework, the simulator helps policymakers and institutional leaders understand how targeted investments can expand higher education’s contribution to state and national economies.

Statistic

$140 Billion

Additional annual income generated by young adults ages 25–34 who earned bachelor's degrees from public four-year colleges nationwide.

Discover federal policy solutions that can increase higher education's economic value for students, states, and the nation.

Federal Policy Recommendation

Policy Recommendations by State

Select a state to explore policy recommendations designed to increase higher education's contribution to the state's economy.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Methodology

Learn how IHEP estimates Economic Value Contribution, including the data sources, methodology, assumptions, and calculations behind the national and state-level estimates.

Our Methodology

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Marián Vargas, former assistant director of research, and Kim Dancy, director of research, for their leadership and expertise, as well as the many other IHEP staff whose contributions made this research possible.

Media Requests

Want to discuss the Economic Value Simulator? Email us at communications@ihep.org.