Reducing U.S. elementary school class sizes might be among the most cost-effective ways to reduce healthcare costs, a study suggests.
Peter Muennig of Columbia University in New York and Steven H. Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond estimate that reducing class sizes would mean an additional 72,000 to 140,000 students would graduate high school each year, producing net savings of $14 billion to $24 billion.
The study was prompted by previous findings that small class sizes increase high school graduation rates, especially among low-income students, and that people with higher levels of education are less likely to need Medicaid or Medicare before age 65, said Muennig.
There is a well known link between education levels and health, but this study attempted to estimate how an educational policy change on reducing class sizes can change health outcomes, said Muennig.
Using a mathematical model, the researchers found that a student graduating from high school after attending smaller classes gains $168,431 in lifetime net revenue, compared to a high school dropout who attended regular-sized classes.
The findings are scheduled to be published in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health, but are available online.