Findings from High/Scope Preschool Study
A more complete selection of findings from the High/Scope Perry Preschool Study include:
- In constant dollars discounted at 3% per year, the economic return to society to date has been $17.07 per dollar invested. Of that, $12.90 went to society, and $4.17 went to each participant.
- Of the public sector benefit, 88% came from crime savings, 4% came from education savings, 1% came from welfare savings, and 7% came from increased taxes due to higher earnings.
- The cost-benefit analysis ignores the hard to monetize areas such as family, health and wealth benefits. The total value probably exceeds the $17 to $1 payoff.
- The preschool group had significantly higher median annual earnings at age 40 ($20,800 vs. $15,300).
- More preschool group males raised their own children (57% vs. 30%).
- The preschool group had higher rates of automobile ownership at age 40 (82% vs. 60%).
- The preschool group had higher rates of ownership of a savings account at age 40 (76% vs. 50%).
- More of the preschool group were employed at age 40 (76% vs. 62%).
- The preschool group had higher rates of home ownership. (37% vs. 28% at age 40 and 27% vs. 5% at age 27).
- More of the preschool group, at age 40, said that they were getting along very well with their families (75% vs. 64%).
- The preschool group had significantly fewer lifetime arrests (36% vs. 55% arrested 5 or more times.)
- The preschool group had significantly fewer arrests for violent crimes (32% vs. 48%), property crimes (36% vs. 58%), and drug crimes (14% vs. 34%).