Return on Investment in Early College High Schools

For state policymakers, the idea of over 250 new early college high schools opening across the country by the end of the decade creates a compelling proposition. By investing in schools designed to combine the high school experience with up to two years of college and propel underserved students toward a postsecondary degree in an accelerated timeframe, what financial return can the state expect in terms of a more educated citizenry and increased tax revenues?

Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, experts in school finance, forecast a very positive answer to that question in this return-on-investment analysis commissioned by Jobs for the Future. APA examines the costs associated with a sample of early college high schools in California, New York, Ohio, and Texas, states that are initiating large numbers of these schools. It then compares the estimated educational and financial benefits for individuals, schools, and the state to those for traditional high schools.