Cicero Institute Releases New Data on College Degree ROI

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Stefani Buhajla
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Cicero Institute
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Austin, TX — In a newly released exclusive web tool, the Cicero Institute offers one-click access to shocking data highlighting the stark differences in lifetime earnings potential between various degrees from colleges and universities across the nation.

As college-bound students and their families navigate the difficult decisions of higher education, the Cicero Institute is shining a light on a critical but often overlooked question: Which college programs provide real value, and which leave students financially worse off? This new tool utilizes research—originally conducted by Preston Cooper and FREOPP—that can help answer those questions.

“The data is clear: not all degrees are created equal,” said Cicero Institute Education Policy Director Michael Brickman. “Students deserve to know which programs will lead to good careers and which will leave them deep in debt with little to show for it—and now at the click of a button, they can.”

With one in three programs leaving students worse off financially, the Institute is calling on policymakers to follow this lead when it comes to transparency and accountability in higher education funding.

“Transparency policies and funding reforms can ensure that taxpayer dollars support programs that deliver real value,” added Brickman.

The Cicero Institute has developed a model transparency policy for states to adopt, ensuring that students have access to earnings and employment data before committing to a degree program. The Institute is also advocating for outcomes-based funding, similar to the Texas State Technical Colleges model, which directly ties public funding to measurable student success.

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About the Cicero Institute:

The Cicero Institute is a nonpartisan public policy organization developing and fighting for bold policies at the state level to restore liberty, accountability, and transparency in American governance.