Four million, or 5 percent of adults living in California aged 25-64 have left the state’s colleges and universities due to financial barriers, personal obligations and institutional roadblocks according to a new report.
The report titled “Back to College Part One: California’s Imperative to Re-Engage Adults” by California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy examined the degree attainment gap between California adults returning to college and college-aged students.
Individuals who complete some college but do not earn a degree, no matter what race or gender, often end up working in jobs that pay less than the $35,984 median wage gap for the state of California, which is the median income for those with only a high school diploma.
The report found that Californian women aged 25-34 with some college make around $15,000 less than those with a degree. For Californian women in the 35-44 age group, there’s an estimated $25,000 wage gap between those with a college degree and those with less experience.
For 25-34 year-old men living in California, a $18,000 wage gap exists between degree holders and non-degree holders. Californian men in the 35-44 age group face a $32,000 wage gap between those with a college degree and those with some college, according to the report.
The report notes that completing a degree program could have more value for adults.
California adults going back to school and earning a degree “could boost their individual prosperity, sustain the state’s innovation economy by meeting workforce demands, and form civically engaged, cohesive communities,” the report said, adding that supporting this population in returning to college and through degree completion will also contribute to balancing California’s “severe income inequality.”
