A 5 percent increase in the number of males who graduate high school could feed $8 billion to the U.S. economy every year, according to a study released this week by the Alliance for Excellent Education. The money would result from savings in costs related to crimes committed by male high school dropouts and the wages those men would eventually earn. The research links education to crime, saying males with lower levels of education are more likely to be arrested or incarcerated. But the study also indicates better high schools would lead to a higher graduation rate, giving men greater opportunities while diminishing their chances of committing a crime.