I haven't read this in detail, but according to commentary here [1] it sounds like they don't actually have 40-year returns, they have 10-year data and extrapolate.<p>Which is a massively different thing, and as you would expect would favor things closer to trade school (immediately useful) rather than the sort of careers people going to top schools are likely to aim for (many of which have high pay much later).<p>[1] <a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2019/11/the-future-of-higher-education.html#comments" rel="nofollow">https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2019/11/th...</a>
> bachelor’s degrees from private colleges, on average, have higher ROI than degrees from public colleges 40 years after enrollment<p>That's a f... up conclusion if there's one. Let's look at it another way: in those private colleges, you'll likely find more students whose parents are rich than in public colleges. Guess what? After 40 years, there's a higher chance they will find themselves higher in the food chain than students from poorer families.<p>The only conclusion is the renewal of the capital gap generation after generation.
I'm pretty sure that 95% of my college ROI can't be measured. The people, ideas, techniques, perceptions, and multiple forms of expertise and culture shared with me - the opening of horizons - have been invaluable to me as an individual ... and hopefully to some people I shared with.<p>College can be much more than quantifiable job training. All of us know this, and we owe this kind of reckoning no more respect than it deserves. This experience needs to be open to all who wish it, regardless.
Would be interesting to see these charts based upon the actual degree. A CS degree will likely have a better ROI than basket weaving. Society shouldn’t be creating more basket weavers, and the first step is to have solid data.