Study Shows Students Earn High Return on Investment From CDU Education
CDU has been ranked a Top California institution that offers a high return on investment (ROI) for low-income students. The report, published by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), took into consideration the average cost of attendance, number of Pell Grant recipients as a representation of low-income students, and Pell Grant recipient graduation rate. CDU came out as the highest ranking California school with a 100% graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients.
The report, “The Colleges Where Low-Income Students Get the Highest ROI,” also looked beyond California to find that CDU ranks #2 in the nation in terms of weighted ROI, which takes the percentage of Pell Grant recipients, the percentile rank of 40-year earnings of Pell Grant students, and Pell Grant recipient graduation rate. In general, CDU was ranked a Top 10 college with the best long-term net economic gains by the CEW.
While CDU students tended to fare well after graduation, the report painted a less positive picture for many other students and graduates across the country. It revealed that low-income students – those whose families earn $30,000 or less per year – comprise more than one-third of college students in the nation, yet have a lower ROI compared to the average of all students. This is largely because these students tend to go on to earn less as adults. Furthermore, CEW found that at 30% of 4,500 colleges included in the rankings, more than half of students earn less than high school graduates after 10 years.
“College typically pays off, but the return on investment varies by credential, program of study, and institution,” said CEW Director Dr. Anthony P. Carnevale. CEW is a research and policy institute within Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy. They study the links between education, career qualifications, and workforce demands.