Since the concept of "human capital" was introduced and developed in the 1960s, there have been a number of attempts to estimate the private and public returns to education. In this paper, Jim Marshall examines some of the recent studies undertaken on this topic in order to provide an understanding of education's impact on the individuals being educated and on the societies supporting the education process. By assessing international, national and Saskatchewan studies on returns to education, this article reveals a striking portrait of the private and public returns to education by level, gender, region, ethnicity and field of study.

Author(s)

Jim Marshall, Chief Economist, SIPP