State Economic Benefits: Illinois

In a time of shrinking state and local revenues, and in the wake of a national economic crisis that most profoundly affected those with the least education, education reform must be viewed as a key strategy for strengthening the economy. The Alliance for Excellent Education, with generous support from State Farm®, analyzed the economies of all 50 states to determine the economic benefits each state could see by improving its high school graduation rate. The findings show that improving educational outcomes creates a wave of economic benefits that include boosting individual earnings, home and auto sales, job and economic growth, spending and investment, and tax revenues.