Gender Equity, Student Loans and Returns on Investment in American Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines practices that impact females’ earnings and, in particular, their ability to repay student loans. Salary inequities experienced by female college graduates along with student loans are addressed. The authors offer a quantitative model for highlighting the inequity in the American workforce considering female’s lower salaries and higher student loans by examining the payback period associated with the investment in college education. Results indicate that, while the payback period for investments on college loans is increasing for both males and females, this trend is significantly worse for females.