Frequently asked questions

The Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse provides cost information for programs that have at least one supported or well-supported effectiveness rating. Cost information is located on the details page for a program, the page which supplies more context about programs with favorable outcomes. All cost information reported on the website is based on data reported by study authors. We first convert these figures to their present value at study baseline (that is, at the time program services began, or at the time of random assignment for programs studied using randomized controlled trial designs). Specifically, we discount costs that occurred over multiple years to their value at baseline because the value of a dollar is greater in the present than in the future. We assume a real rate of return of 3 percent annually. We then report those costs in 2024 dollars. Where there are multiple studies of a program rated high or moderate quality, we compute the simple average of costs reported across those studies, and the cost figure we report reflects the average set of program services provided.

Because the cost information is based on data reported by study authors, cost information is not directly comparable across programs. The types of costs reported across programs vary, as does the amount of time that programs lasted. The Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse has developed new standards for cost analyses (i.e., cost estimates), cost-effectiveness analyses, and cost-benefit analyses that are described in the Protocol for the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse. Ratings from cost study reviews are forthcoming, which will provide Pathways to Work’s assessment of the quality of cost estimates.