Wayne State leaders’ research confirms the transformative value of higher education and the importance of equitable access – Today@Wayne

A college degree changes lives, creates generational change, and promotes economic growth and innovation. In addition, a degree brings significant economic, personal, and social benefits, including higher salaries and job security, better health, improved relationships, and greater community engagement.

Monica Brockmeyer, Ph.D., senior research associate at the Center for Urban Studies, and Darryl Gardner, Ph.D., vice provost for student success, support and engagement, have witnessed these impacts firsthand through their work on Wayne State University’s student success initiatives.

Now, the duo have teamed up to publish a paper titled “Assessing the Value of a Postsecondary Education in Michigan: An Equity-Focused Analysis,” which uses data and detailed analysis to quantify the impact of a college degree and identify where access and equity gaps should be closed.

The cornerstone of Wayne State University’s Prosperity Agenda is to provide affordable and equitable access to life-changing opportunities, and the document further emphasizes the importance of this commitment.

“The transformative value of a college degree is undeniable, and this research underscores the immense benefits of higher education for both students and their communities,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Ph.D. “Wayne State University is an engine of opportunity, especially for students who come from underserved or marginalized communities. No matter where you start, a degree will accelerate your future.”

A win-win situation in Michigan

As data-driven leaders committed to student success, Brockmeyer and Gardner’s past work has influenced programs and initiatives at WSU to improve retention and graduation rates, address academic inequities, streamline advising, and more. The pair’s latest research has a broader scope, examining the value of postsecondary education at public and private institutions in Michigan.

The key findings show that postsecondary education generally leads to higher earnings, with the state’s public four-year universities offering the highest economic return. Ten years after starting college, a bachelor’s degree graduate’s earnings exceed the average for those with a high school diploma by more than $22,000, plus college costs.

Michigan ranks high in the nation in terms of the economic return on a college degree. The state also has a high demand for a well-educated workforce, as outlined in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Sixty by 30” goal of having 60% of working-age adults in Michigan with a college degree by 2030.

“In Michigan, college degrees mean more money, and our state needs a well-educated workforce to continue to thrive,” Brockmeyer said. “It’s mutually beneficial to encourage and support students who want to pursue higher education. Mobility for our students directly means mobility for our community. It’s the best investment in their future – and ours, too.”

Level the playing field

While the study found that a college degree was generally a good earning asset, earnings disparities continued to exist by gender, race and ethnicity. Earnings prospects varied by field of study, with the largest differences seen in the most lucrative fields, such as engineering, business, health and technology.

“Education has the transformative power to be a vehicle for equity,” Gardner said. “However, to address these inequities, we must be proactive and collaborative, educating students earlier – especially first-generation and historically marginalized students – about the value of a degree and the resources available to help them succeed.”

In their paper, Brockmeyer and Gardner recommend, among other things, universal access to high-quality education from early childhood through high school, more support for college and career planning, and more capacity for high-demand majors. They also advocate for data-driven communications led jointly by colleges, K-12 schools, community leaders, and policymakers to promote the value of a degree. To that end, both Gardner and Brockmeyer are members of the Detroit Drives Degrees higher education perceptions working group led by the Detroit Regional Chamber. Gardner is also a member of Michigan’s Student Basic Needs Task Force, which works to support low-income college students.

“This work is about so much more than just graduating. Higher education enriches a person’s life tremendously in terms of personal, social and professional development,” Gardner said. “We need to make sure all students know that our doors are open to them and we are here to help them achieve that success.”

“Education has the transformative power to be a means to justice…”

-Darryl Gardner, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Academic Success, Support and Engagement

Wayne State is leading

The research underscores much of the work being done at Wayne State University, which has been recognized nationally as a leader in social mobility and student success by the nonprofit organization Third Way. US News and World Reportand the Association of Public and State-Supported Universities.

The university supports its students from the beginning of their education and beyond. For example, the Warrior 360 Bridge Program and Freshman Advocacy Groups provide comprehensive support for freshmen, while the Warrior Way Back program re-engages adult learners to help them complete their degrees. To keep education affordable, WSU offers comprehensive FAFSA workshops and student finance counseling and has implemented a flat-rate tuition structure designed to encourage students to stay on track and graduate on time, thereby reducing their expenses and enabling them to start their careers sooner. The university is equally committed to boosting student success after graduation with the College to Career initiative. This initiative aims to provide each student with experiential learning opportunities that allow them to learn about the world, gain deeper insights and new perspectives, and prepare for a successful career.

“It’s not enough to just admit students; we need to make sure they feel welcomed, supported and valued throughout their journey. We need to communicate loud and clear that they belong here,” Brockmeyer said.