“High School Dropouts Cost the U.S. Billions in Lost Wages and Taxes” is available from the Alliance for Excellent Education.
More than 1.2 million students either dropped out of high school or did not graduate on time in 2004, which could cost the nation more than $325 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity over their lifetimes if they do not complete high school, concludes a report.
The report—released by the Washington-based Alliance for Excellent Education—is based on an analysis by Princeton University researcher Cecilia Rouse. Her analysis estimates that the lifetime difference in income between a high school graduate and a dropout is about $260,000.
