Is Getting a Postsecondary Education a Good Investment for Supported Employees With Intellectual Disability and Taxpayers? Is Postsecondary Education a Good Investment?

This study examined the vocational outcomes achieved by 9,432 transition-age (17-26 years old) supported employees with intellectual disability served by state-federal vocational rehabilitation programs throughout the United States in 2015. It found that individuals who had completed at least some postsecondary education were more likely to be employed, work more hours, earn more per hour, and were employed in a greater range of vocations than individuals with all other levels of education examined (i.e., individual without high school diplomas, special education certificate of completion, or high school diploma). Further, individuals who had postsecondary education also were the most cost-effective and would be cost-efficient from the taxpayer's perspective after being employed 28.4 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]