35%
Economic return
Whether outcomes appear strong enough to support the investment over time.
Methodology
How the index thinks about value.
Durable Value Index is built around a simple idea: educational value should hold up after cost, risk, time, and labor-market change are considered.
The four dimensions.
20%
Affordability burden
How cost and debt pressure affect the value of the decision.
20%
Completion reliability
Whether students are likely to complete and convert enrollment into outcomes.
25%
Career resilience
Whether the degree mix points toward resilient career pathways in a changing labor market.
Guardrail
Structured data first. No AI black box.
The index is designed to use structured public data for scoring. AI may support evidence organization, quality review, and narrative preparation, but it does not invent values or decide final scores.
Important limits.
Does the index guarantee outcomes?
No. It is designed to support comparison and discussion, not to guarantee individual student results.
Does the index claim any degree is AI-proof?
No. It estimates career resilience and avoids absolute future-proof or AI-proof claims.
Why use score bands and confidence notes?
Some data are incomplete, delayed, or suppressed. Score bands and confidence notes help avoid false precision.
Can an institution pay to improve its score?
No. Paid products may offer benchmarking or analysis, but they do not affect scoring, methodology, inclusion, or results.