Jobs for the Future commissioned the development of a financial analysis model for calculating the “ROI”—return on investment—for early college high schools. The model, created by Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates, Inc., indicates that young people and their families would recognize significant advantages in terms of savings on college tuition and increased lifetime earning from attending early college high schools, where students graduate with a high school diploma and also an Associate’s degree or up to two years of college credit toward a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, states would reap their financial investment in these schools in terms of higher educational attainment for young people, increased earnings, and a longer working life for graduates—and hence increased future tax revenues.
