The report uses data from the expanded College Scorecard, an onl

The report uses data from the expanded College Scorecard, an online tool created by the U.S. government in 2015, from 4,500 colleges, including traditional two-year and four-year public and private colleges, as well as for-profit colleges and training academies. 

Here are other key points from the report:

• Ten years after enrollment, the median net present value for all colleges is $107,000; that rises to $723,000 after 40 years.

• Colleges that primarily award associate’s degrees have the highest short-term return, a median of $141,000 10 years after enrollment.

• In the long term, the net economic gains for attending a private for-profit college are $551,000, versus $838,000 for a private nonprofit college and $765,000 for a public college.