The Opportunity Cost of an Education: An Analysis of Student Employment

This paper examines the economic and academic trade-offs, or opportunity costs, associated with having a job while attending college. Using data and analysis from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, the Rutgers Education & Employment Research Center, and the National Center for Education Statistics, the paper looks at both the benefits and drawbacks of student employment. Working during college can provide valuable income and job experience, it can also hinder academic performance and delay graduation.

This analysis aims to find the balance between the immediate want for more money and the sacrifice of time that could have been spent studying or other activities.