Understanding Human Capital through Multiple Disciplines: The Educational Needs Index

Through a focus on the external and internal benefits of education, this study examines the link between educational attainment and social welfare at the country level in Tennessee. The "Educational Needs Index" presented includes twenty country-level variables that reflect participation rates in postsecondary education, educational attainment levels, employment patterns, population growth, and socioeconomic status of residents. Allowing for comparison amongst all of the countries, the index classifies those displaying the need for increased efforts to deliver education and/or remove participation barriers.