Current Research Bulletin

This paper gives an economic estimate of the value of a B.A. degree in Alberta for the 2009-2013 period. Unlike previous impact studies that aim to estimate university value by breaking down the impact into direct, indirect, and dynamic components, this paper takes a more economic approach by breaking down the estimated value into three economic components: value-added, private value, and induced value. The analysis focuses on the five B.A.-granting institutions in Alberta: University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, MacEwan University, and Mount Royal University. The results of the analysis show that the economic value of a B.A. degree in Alberta has been roughly 0.2% of Alberta’s value (GDP), implying that $1 out of $500 in Alberta’s economy comes from the existence of a B.A. degree.

Value-Added, Private Value, Induced Value, B.A. Degree, OLS Regression, Percentile Regression

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