âStudents experience postsecondary value when provided equitable access and support to complete quality, affordable credentials that offer economic mobility and prepare them to advance racial and economic justice in our society.â
Itâs a definition that underscores how higher education offers different outcomes for students depending on their race and gender, what colleges they attend, and whether they actually earn a degree.
These discrepancies have not always been recognized in calculations about what a college degree is worth, according to Patrick Methvin, director of Postsecondary Success for the Gates Foundation.
âOur initial focus was too light on equity,â he said during a webinar on Tuesday announcing the results of the report.