Should Everyone Go To College?

Brookings Institution - Should Everyone Go To College?
For the past few decades, it has been widely argued that a college degree is a prerequisite to entering the middle class in the United States. Study after study reminds us that higher education is one of the best investments we can make, and President Obama has called it “an economic imperative.”

We all know that, on average, college graduates make significantly more money over their lifetimes than those with only a high school education. What gets less attention is the fact that not all college degrees or college graduates are equal.

There is enormous variation in the so-called return to education depending on factors such as institution attended, field of study, whether a student graduates, and post-graduation occupation. While the average return to obtaining a college degree is clearly positive, we emphasize that it is not universally so. For certain schools, majors, occupations, and individuals, college may not be a smart investment.

By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing some of them a disservice. 

Read more here    See infographic here    Download full report here

 
Diane Rehm Show - Who Benefits From College And Why
For years the mantra has been: get a college degree if you possibly can. It’s true that the benefits of a college degree generally outweigh the costs, but given the price, many students and their families are taking a closer look. Authors of a new report from the Brookings Institution conclude that college may not be the best investment for certain schools, specific fields of study, occupations and individuals. Those who start but don’t finish college seem to pay a particularly high price.

From the show:

• “We really do need to change our mindset about this. We need to give much greater respect to the people who have mastered a trade. And we need to stop telling all of our kids that the only way to be successful is to "go to college.""
• "We have this notion that somehow equality is sameness, having everybody do the same thing. And if people are different, then imposing sameness is really an unequal strategy, and that's what we've done."
• "Information is not readily available. The advising in this country is in terrible shape. We offer very little guidance on how to be a good adviser, a curricula adviser, or a college adviser."

Listen to the entire program here

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