Attending a good school is beneficial right into old age, scientists have found, after discovering that people in their 70s with better educations have younger brains.
Researchers at Columbia University, in the US, found that people who went to schools with a high number of graduate-level teachers had cognition levels that were up to three years younger than those from poorer quality schools.
Experts say that better teachers may create a more mentally stimulating environment which boosts the brain in the long-term. It may also increase the chance of going to university and earning higher wages, both of which are known to bring health benefits.
“Our study establishes a link between high-quality education and better late-life cognition and suggests that increased investment in schools, could be a powerful strategy to improve cognitive health among older adults,” said Dr Jennifer Manly, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and senior author of the study.
The researchers said that inequalities in school quality may contribute to persistent disparities in late-life cognitive outcomes for decades to come.
Previous studies have found that the number of years spent in school is linked to increased cognition later in life, but there is little evidence about whether educational quality makes a difference.
