Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Office of the President

Title of entry: Is college worth it?

About this entry: Amid a national debate about whether college is still a good investment, the data about UC alumni is unequivocal: Not only do large percentages of UC graduates enter the workforce with no student debt, but their degrees often deliver an array of benefits both for themselves and their communities — including higher lifetime earnings and an increased likelihood of owning a home or starting a business, compared to peers without a degree.

Timed for graduation 2025, the goal of this article was to communicate the lasting value and lifelong benefits of a UC degree. Long a key message for UC’s systemwide communications, the value of a UC degree story is more important than ever against a backdrop of public skepticism about higher education.

The article also combined the value of a UC degree message with another: the value of UC degrees to the state of California. Audiences for this piece included students, the wider UC community, California voters, and California legislators. The story was promoted through our systemwide email newsletter and social media channels.