%0 Report
        %A Patrinos, Harry Anthony
%A Rivera-Olvera, Angelica
        %T Education and Earnings in Arkansas
        %D 2025
        %8 2025 Jun
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 17963
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17963
        %X This paper presents the first analysis for Arkansas using 2024 CPS data to examine education's impact on earnings and returns to investment. Average returns are 7.7%, higher for women (9%). University education yields even more: 8.8% overall, 8.1% for men, and 10.8% for women. With full discounting, private returns are 11.5% and social returns 6.6%, suggesting social benefits may be undervalued. The key takeaway is that investing in better and broader access to education offers strong individual and societal returns, making it one of the most effective ways to boost economic outcomes.
        %K wage differentials
%K human capital
%K returns to education
%K earnings function
%K Arkansas