Revisiting the Benefits of Higher Education

The economic returns of higher education (HE) in terms of enhanced earnings are established. The wider set of ‘non-economic benefits’ in the areas of health, skills and citizenship are less widely recognised. In an earlier report, we preliminary findings on the wider benefits, drawing on data collected at age33 from the National Child Development Study (based on a cohort born in 1958). This updates the earlier conclusions through new findings from a more extensive involving both the 1958 cohort and the more recent 1970 British Cohort cohort (based on a cohort born in 1970). The current analysis incorporates more data collected in both cohorts in 2000 and at an older age (1958 cohort). report findings in five major areas. First, we examine the mobility of graduates. what extent do some parts of the country gain and lose graduates and graduate of occupation at the expense of others? We then report findings on the ‘marginal’ to higher education in four domains of life: health, labour market, citizenship values, and parenting.