BOSTON — Pushing back against federal criticism over higher education costs, state education officials touted a report Tuesday that confirms Bay Staters with degrees from Massachusetts public colleges and universities earn significantly more than those with only high school diplomas.
Five years after earning an associate’s degree in Massachusetts, individuals typically earn $20,000 more annually compared to those with high school diplomas, according to a state Department of Higher Education report.
The figure rises to $30,000 for those with a bachelor’s degree from a public university.
“There is a big value imperative in terms of higher education happening nationally,” Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega said at a board meeting Tuesday.
“Two things that are big drivers of this, which I feel Massachusetts has done a really good job in addressing are affordability — right, cost. That has really created a national dialogue around the value of higher education that is really, over the past couple of years, really amped up in terms of its discussion. But also on results — right, in terms of earnings for students.”
Among Massachusetts college graduates, the highest earners have degrees in health sciences, STEM and trades, according to the report.
Researchers found that pursuing higher education can reduce income gaps across racial and ethnic groups, though the median earnings for women degree holders in STEM trail male counterparts by more than 20%.
Massachusetts in recent years has heavily invested in higher education, including making community college free for all residents, expanding financial aid for students eligible for Pell Grants, and increasing funding for student support services at state universities.
“College affordability is up in Massachusetts, not down,” Deputy Commissioner for Public Policy Michael Dannenberg said.
“Enrollment is up. Degree completion remains a challenge, but there are early indicators that there are promising results on the way.”
President Donald Trump is restructuring the higher education landscape as his administration suspends or cancels billions of dollars in federal funding, including over ideological issues like diversity, equity and inclusion.
A panel discussion at the White House last week explored how universities are “failing American families,” and touched on changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to reduce the cost of higher education through student loan repayment reforms, new borrowing caps on federal lending and creating new Workforce Pell Grants, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
“Staggering increases in tuition rates, dismal earnings outcomes for many degrees, and wasteful spending on armies of administrators and DEI programs all underline the urgent need for bold reforms,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.
“Universities must refocus their operations to deliver high-value credentials and a better return on investment for the next generation of Americans.”
Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent added the Trump administration is “moving swiftly to implement long-overdue reforms for borrowers and taxpayers, hold institutions accountable for poor outcomes, and create new pathways to give students more post-high school options beyond the traditional four-year degree.”
Five years after completing college in Massachusetts, the state report released mid-month found that annual median earnings were $61,550 for those with associate degrees and $72,519 for those with bachelor’s degrees. Those with only high school diplomas earn just over $42,000 annually, Healey’s office said.
“I want for folks to not lose sight of the fact that in Massachusetts, because of the hard work that our institutions have been doing, our leaders, the Legislature, we’re pushing back on the value proposition and illustrating that college, in fact, is worth it,” Ortega said. “I want to make sure that that isn’t lost from the narrative.”
Dannenberg said the net price of college is decreasing, which he attributed to increased financial aid that’s overtaking rising tuition and fees.
“It’s been going down nationally, but it’s been going down even more in Massachusetts,” Dannenberg said. “When you look at the percentage of students who are paying $0 for tuition and fees, that is up, and it’s up markedly for working-class students both at the two-year level and at the four-year level.”
Last year, 67% of community college students were not paying anything for tuition and fees, Dannenberg said. That percentage “should be much closer to 100%” in 2025 due to the MassEducate free community college initiative,” he said.
The fiscal 2025 closeout budget that Gov. Maura Healey signed Tuesday contains $18.3 million in student aid and stipends. The Board of Higher Education Tuesday approved guidelines for handling restored funding for MassEducate, MassReconnect and MassGrant Plus.
“We’re coming to the board so we could get approval so we could quickly work on this when it is done and begin to move forward to work with our institutions,” Ortega said ahead of Healey signing the package.