Report: College Pays Off for Most Texans, Affordability Lags

Strada Education Foundation’s 2026 State Opportunity Index finds that college is projected to deliver a positive 10-year return for 66% of Alabama graduates, below the 70% national average, while Alabama’s four-year college costs remain a concern. The report also shows substantial state investment in four-year institutions, but Alabama’s average net price is higher than the national average; state workforce officials say both bachelor’s degrees and shorter credentials can be worthwhile, depending on students’ goals. Alabama performs well on access to employment-outcome information, but it does not currently track employment and earnings for people whose education ends with high school, a gap the state’s data office says it is working to address. In Texas, the report projects a positive 10-year return for more than 75% of bachelor’s degree recipients, yet finds affordability remains a barrier: an average in-state student would need to work about 31 hours a week to cover the net price of a public college.