The Boston metropolitan area is recognized by many for its concentration of prestigious private colleges and universities. The metropolitan area is home to over 80 private colleges and universities employing 68,600 people and attracting over 360,000 students from all over the world. This report uses employment and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program for the years 1990 and 2006 to analyze the labor market impact and contribution of these institutions of higher education to the Boston area economy. The analysis indicates a strong and steady growth in both wages and employment, with job creation in colleges and universities almost double the rate for total private employment. Wage gains also were higher for those working in colleges and universities than for those in overall private industry. The continuing growth of colleges and universities enhances the quality of the labor force and fuels knowledge-based industries, which are attracted by that quality. (Contains 1 table, 2 charts and 7 footnotes.)