The benefits of higher education participation for individuals and society: key findings and reports: 'the quadrants'

This document illustrates the benefits of higher education (HE) classified according to market and non-market benefit, and whether they relate to the individual or society [the four quadrants]. It builds on earlier work by BIS entitled 'Things we know and don't know about the wider benefits of higher education: a review of the recent literature'. A table showing the four quadrants provides links to relevant sources of evidence that have been identified on the specific benefits of HE.

The report covers only benefits from HE participation, so that benefits arising from research exploitation, spin-off companies, export earnings through international student fees and spending, and other aspects of HE are not included. A fuller exploration of direct and indirect benefits and the mechanism through which they (might) operate can be found in the 'Supporting analysis for the Higher Education White Paper' published by BIS in 2011.

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