This brief argues that higher educational attainment improves a student's future income, occupational status, and social prestige, all of which contributes to improved individual health. The brief cites several reasons why, including the fact that Americans with higher educational attainment have more insurance coverage, individuals who lack health insurance receive less medical care and have poorer health outcomes, and lower education levels generally lead to occupations with greater health hazards. The analysis shows that states could save over $17 billion nationally, a savings that could be earned for each class of students who graduate high school rather than drop out. This potential public benefit is just one among a multitude of positive results that would accrue to society if America's educational system successfully educated all of its students--instead of allowing over a million youth to drop out without a diploma each year. A citizenry that is not only healthier, but also wealthier and wiser, is an asset that every state, and the country as a whole, needs. (Contains 2 endnotes.)