Is investing in college worth it? Now more than ever

The evidence is overwhelming: higher education is the single most reliable path to economic success for individuals, as well as to the prosperity of communities and of our state.

As the leaders of Washington’s six public universities, it would be reasonable to think we are biased in this regard. Yet the benefits of the “college dividend” are clear and undisputed. College graduates earn an additional $500,000 to $1 million — or more — in their lifetime over those who only graduate from high school, and they are more likely to be engaged in their communities and to pass on prosperity to the next generation. And yet each year, we find ourselves with less core educational funding to serve our students.