Exploring the Wealth Returns to Latino Higher Educational Attainment

Abstract

A significant research gap exists in our knowledge of how educational attainment affects wealth building and intergenerational wealth transfers among Latinos. Wealth includes earnings but is a much wider and more fundamental measure of economic mobility. The education—earnings—wealth relationship is explored by constructing estimates of social gains and losses based on work-life earnings profiles for Latino workers. Findings indicate that public investment in Latino higher education results in social benefits by increasing public revenues and contributing to national prosperity.