Junjie Guo, Kim Ruhl and Ananth Seshadri
Executive Summary:
The first white paper in the series estimates the value of a UW-Madison bachelor’s degree. Estimates using U.S. Census Bureau data reveal substantial gains from a UW-Madison bachelor’s degree. The median lifetime return to a bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison is about $760,000 for Wisconsin residents relative to a high school diploma. And this calculation only accounts for the earnings benefit associated with graduating from UW-Madison.