The findings revealed that kindergarten matters ⎯ a lot. Students of kindergarten teachers with above-average experience earn $900 more in annual wages than students of teachers with less experience than average. Being in a class of 15 students instead of a class of 22 increased students’ chances of attending college, especially for children who were disadvantaged, Friedman said.

Children whose test scores improved to the 60th percentile were also less likely to become single parents, more likely to own a home by age 28, and more likely to save for retirement earlier in their work lives.