The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education says since the early 1980s, college tuition and fees have jumped nearly 440 percent while median family income rose less than 150 percent, the Washington Post reports.

"When we come out of the recession, we're really going to be in jeopardy, because of the educational gap between our work force and the rest of the world," said Patrick M. Callan, president of the non-profit group.

The panel's study, entitled "Measuring Up 2008," paints a similar picture to one released earlier this week by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the New York Times reports.

That group says while public higher education is currently affordable it may not continue to be so in the future.