Estimates of Enhanced Outcomes in Employment, Income, Health, and Volunteerism for The Association of Boarding Schools Member School Graduates

Abstract

We analyzed data from 65 schools that are U.S. members of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) to estimate how TABS member school graduates who enter college compare with college entrants from non-boarding schools on several long-term quality-of-life estimates. Although TABS students are more likely to graduate college than the population of college-bound U.S. high school students as a whole, they are also more likely to come from households with higher education and income levels. We statistically removed some of this advantage using proxy data from the U.S. Census Bureau. After this adjustment, TABS students still remain more likely to graduate college. We use the increased likelihood of holding a bachelor’s degree to project increased estimates in earnings, health, volunteering, and other life outcomes.