According to a new study to be published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, former charter school students earn more in their 20s and are more likely to graduate from college. The study also confirmed previous research that shows charter school students are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college. It compares students who were in charter high schools with those who weren’t, as long as both groups of students were in charter schools in eighth grade.

The research shows that higher graduation rates in charter schools aren’t a fluke or the result of low graduation expectations. Charter students appear to be better prepared for college and work after leaving their high school.