Public universities are a great economic equaliser

For young people right now, there is little cause for optimism but new data from the University of California shows that a quality public education might still serve as one of the country’s most important equalisers, with many of the lowest-income graduates of the University of California system going on to earn more than their parents, writes Eillie Anzilotti for Fast Company.

With wages stagnating across many professions and the cost of living continuing to skyrocket, it can feel like there’s no way for a young person leaving college now to get any sort of foothold in society, particularly if they come from a low-income background to begin with. But the new data from the University of California system shows that a quality public education can still make a difference.

Over the past year, a team lead by Pamela Brown, the University of California’s vice president for institutional research and academic planning, undertook a study of the system’s two million alumni to understand their life after college. One of the most promising findings was that within five years of graduating, the majority of low-income students are out-earning their parents.
Full report on the Fast Company site