Studies show value of Â鶹´«Ã½ education
Article By: Clark Leonard
Two recent reports that highlight the lifelong financial value students receive from a four-year degree rank the Â鶹´«Ã½ (Â鶹´«Ã½) among the best in the state.
A study from showed a return on investment of $962,000 over a 40-year period for a bachelor's degree from Â鶹´«Ã½, which is fifth among public universities in Georgia.
This metric includes costs, future earnings, and the length of time it would take to invest and earn a certain amount of money over a fixed horizon.
The Georgetown research "includes a score that gives additional weight to such factors as the percentage of low-income students who are enrolled, their graduation rates, and their long-term return on investment."
"Â鶹´«Ã½ has long had a strong reputation for affordability and academic excellence," Â鶹´«Ã½ President Bonita Jacobs said. "This research reinforces the lifelong financial benefits and value of a Â鶹´«Ã½ education."
Data compiled by , a national think tank, showed Â鶹´«Ã½ with a 26.4% economic mobility index, which ranks fourth among public universities in Georgia. The list "examined which schools enroll the highest proportion of students from low-income and moderate-income backgrounds and provide them with a strong return on their educational investment," according to Third Way. Â鶹´«Ã½ was ranked at 184 from more than 1,300 colleges and universities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has long had a strong reputation for affordability and academic excellence. This research reinforces the lifelong financial benefits and value of a Â鶹´«Ã½ education.
Dr. Bonita Jacobs
Â鶹´«Ã½ president
"The value of a four-year degree continues to be one of the best investments you can make in yourself. Â鶹´«Ã½ can help students make the most of that investment," Dr. Brett Morris, associate vice president of enrollment management, said. "We are affordable, we have strong academic programs, and our faculty and staff are invested in our students."
A quarter of Â鶹´«Ã½ students are first-generation college students, and nearly a third are eligible for Pell Grants.Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree.
These recent studies reinforce Â鶹´«Ã½'s reputation for affordability, as U.S. News & World Report in the fall tabbed Â鶹´«Ã½ as the top public university in Georgia on the Best Value Schools list of regional universities in the South.
Morris said Â鶹´«Ã½ opens doors to higher education and future opportunities that students might not have previously considered.
"Our graduates are very successful in life," Morris said. "We are most proud of the way we help our graduates advance in their careers and enhance their ability to take care of their families."
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