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College: Pay More, Get Less
May 06, 2008 04:29 PM
Tuition is rising, fewer are graduating, and fewer still are adequately prepared by their degrees.
30-Second Summary
The current school year has seen tuition increases ranging from 4.2 percent at community colleges to 6.6 percent at public four-year schools.according to College Board data.
But a new study says the soaring cost of higher learning may not translate to better-prepared graduates.
According to USA Today, the Delta Cost Project study found that “the percentage of students who complete a degree hasn’t kept pace with increases in enrollments, revenue and total spending.”
In fact, the paper goes on to cite a 2007 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stating that, although the United States spends more money per student than any other industrialized nation, its 54 percent graduation rate ranks as one of the lowest.
Even some of the students who complete their degrees find themselves lacking in important critical thinking skills.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ Commission on the Future of Higher Education reported in 2006 that “prose literacy ‘for all levels of educational attainment’ and document literacy ‘among those with at least some college education’ decreased between 1992 and 2003. In addition, the report said, ‘employers complain that many college graduates are not prepared for the workplace,’” reports Brown University paper the Brown Daily Herald.
The trend hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Spellings Commission is currently developing a university-level standardized exam with which the Department of Education could hold colleges accountable for student performance.
But a new study says the soaring cost of higher learning may not translate to better-prepared graduates.
According to USA Today, the Delta Cost Project study found that “the percentage of students who complete a degree hasn’t kept pace with increases in enrollments, revenue and total spending.”
In fact, the paper goes on to cite a 2007 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stating that, although the United States spends more money per student than any other industrialized nation, its 54 percent graduation rate ranks as one of the lowest.
Even some of the students who complete their degrees find themselves lacking in important critical thinking skills.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ Commission on the Future of Higher Education reported in 2006 that “prose literacy ‘for all levels of educational attainment’ and document literacy ‘among those with at least some college education’ decreased between 1992 and 2003. In addition, the report said, ‘employers complain that many college graduates are not prepared for the workplace,’” reports Brown University paper the Brown Daily Herald.
The trend hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Spellings Commission is currently developing a university-level standardized exam with which the Department of Education could hold colleges accountable for student performance.
Headline Link: Have colleges cheated students of their educations?
“[W]hat we see across a broad range of indicators is that states and institutions are spending money in areas that may not be in line with the public priority of preparing more graduates,” Jane Wellman, one of the authors of the Delta Project report explained.
Source: USA Today
Background: Graduates less proficient
Findings from a 2006 study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts showed that only half of college seniors achieved proficiency on a test that measured comprehension of an editorial in a newspaper or comparisons of credit cards.
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription may be required)
The Spellings Commission noted a decline in literacy from 1992 to 2003. It is discussing plans to enforce a standardized exam for all college students.
Source: The Brown Daily Herald
Related Topics: More adult children live at home; graduates enticed by Wall Street salaries
Steven Mintz, author of Huck’s Raft: A History of American Childhood, explains Baby Boomers’ willingness to let adult children live at home: “They had fewer children than previous generations and have bigger household incomes, so they believe they can afford the extras.”
Source: CNNmoney.com
Students are increasingly saddled with significant debt upon graduation, leading them to ignore lower-paying careers in favor of jobs that can better help them solve their financial woes. One British banking official criticized his nation’s finance sector for using high starting pay packages to woo graduates away from other professions.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: The Delta Cost Project Report; Web Guides to colleges and careers
The Delta Project, an independent, nonprofit organization, compiled a report called “The Growing Imbalance: Recent trends in U.S. post-secondary finance,” to explore how college funding is being spent.
Source: Delta Cost Project.org
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to College Applications highlights the Web’s best sites for evaluating and choosing a college and preparing your applications and all their parts.
Source: findingDulcinea
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Careers is full of online resources for finding a job, dealing with various workplace issues, networking, and staying current in your profession.
Source: findingDulcinea
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