Higher education is about far more than income. Our country’s founders knew the civic value of education, and the good citizenship of graduates is reflected in the data. Higher education absolutely translates into higher income. Think tanks and news sources from the political right, left and center all agree that a college degree is the best social ladder available for most Americans. Higher education not only trains people for jobs that don’t exist yet, but it also helps grads develop the cognitive strength and flexibility to develop new skillsets throughout their lives.