Report outlines rising costs, benefits of college degree

By MARJORIE CORTEZ
Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A new report by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows average tuition and fees at Utah’s public colleges and universities more than doubled from 2000 to 2020. The Deseret News reports that doesn’t include the cost of housing, books, transportation and food. The report also shows that students are bearing a greater share of college and university funding as state appropriations shrink. Still, the benefits are many, including increased earning, economic mobility, healthier lifestyles and a higher likelihood of receiving employer-provided health insurance. Societal benefits of higher education also include a higher gross domestic product, decreased crime, increased rates of voluntarism and higher rates of voter participation.