Virginia’s community colleges are an outstanding investment, creating lasting wealth for the entire Commonwealth. Studies show that for every dollar spent on community colleges, Virginia receives $2.20 in return—a better than 2-to-1 return on investment. In 2000-01, the increased worker productivity generated by the educational services that community colleges provided was valued at $395 million.
Virginia benefits from rising taxable income among community college graduates as well. In 2003, the annual income of Virginians who earned an associate’s degree was an average of $7,000 higher than the average income of high school graduates. Overall, individuals with higher levels of education have the lowest rates of unemployment and poverty.
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