A new study from Guild shows that what companies are spending on education benefits, how they're measuring impact, and what the top-performing programs are doing differently. More than half of surveyed organizations (55%) spend $1 million or more annually on education benefits.

Nearly 1 in 4 spends $5 million or more. The majority of respondents (70%) have defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for these investments, but only 13% have standardized recurring reporting. The research makes clear that a budget line item of this size must operate with accountability and track outcomes that matter to the business.

"What this research makes clear is that there is a real gap between perception and performance," said Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild. "The issue is often rooted in benefit design. High-performing programs align stakeholders on strategy, remove barriers to access, and connect learning directly to business needs. They continuously adapt based on results. That is how existing investment becomes a true engine for mobility, resilience, and growth."

The payoff goes beyond program performance. When education benefits are tied to workforce readiness and business strategy, executives are more likely to see them as a strategic lever worth funding and expanding. Over the past two years, 82% of high-performing programs saw their overall budget increase, twice the rate of low-performing programs (41%).

"Our investments in education are intended to create future revenue. If we can support employees through degree programs and create a pipeline, it comes back to us," said a Senior VP of HR finance at a large healthcare organization, high-performing program, of those surveyed.

Programs were evaluated by their measurable impact across seven business outcomes, including retention, internal mobility, workforce skill readiness, and time-to-fill. High-performing programs — no matter the budget — share a common orientation: they are designed to drive workforce strategy. Low performers optimize for participation. High performers optimize for workforce outcomes. Of high-performing programs:

  • 71% report significant improvement in workforce skill readiness;
  • 62% report significant improvement in internal mobility.

Leadership visibility is also a defining factor. Nearly all high-performing programs (97%) share metrics with senior leadership on a regular basis. Among low performers, roughly 30% share results only when asked, or not at all.
Additional key stats from the report include: 

  • 71% of high-performing programs report significant improvement in workforce skill readiness;
  • 97% of high-performing programs share metrics with senior leadership regularly.

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