'Is College Worth It?'
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| Title: | 'Is College Worth It?' |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Adam, Michelle |
| Source: | Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review. Feb 2012 77(6):58-61. |
| Availability: | Prakken Publications. 832 Phoenix Drive, P.O. Box 8623, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Tel: 734-975-2800; Fax: 734-975-2787; Web site: http://www.eddigest.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 4 |
| Publication Date: | 2012 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education |
| Descriptors: | Higher Education, College Presidents, Paying for College, Outcomes of Education, Institutional Mission, Educational Quality, Public Opinion, Surveys, Costs, Access to Education, Cost Effectiveness |
| Geographic Terms: | United States |
| ISSN: | 0013-127X |
| Abstract: | The Pew Research Center asked an important question earlier this year when it embarked on an ambitious project called Is College Worth It?: College Presidents, Public Assess Value, Quality and Mission of Higher Education. While most today believe that getting a good education is key to success in the society, this report revealed surprising issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price tag. Published last May, the study reported that a majority of Americans (57%) say that the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money. In addition, only 19% of 1,055 college presidents surveyed said they believe that the U.S. system is the best in the world. Four in 10 believe the higher education system is going in the wrong direction. The question in this report, Is College Worth It? seems to have been answered with a definite "yes." Yet the report also reveals an urgent need for the nation to address the high cost and practical value of a college education that still remains out of reach for most Americans. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2012 |
| Accession Number: | EJ978323 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwGOgwbMRikhAg9Tgr59Hy6wAAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDINNsZAfinwgLIQKbQIBEICBmkHSofUPmOjKmTcoubKDrBQvceNvGWe8hdZyCcaol_N0yUKHTugBKlLWxs7rjTn5ZzeKGeKYGmBb6lttg8RNL7tApPkOL8GdkyFL-5_N_9ffWZpiTNJtET7chq4udsDUO_fB-9kcr7jLDx6IR7t243xwnnLD64artrTDdJx95RamzbBpsxPkxg_P3BnV12SW72_8QUg5jwFShLE= Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0083515473;edd01feb.12;2012Nov22.15:06;v2.2.460</anid> <title id="AN0083515473-1">'Is College Worth It?' </title> <p>The Pew Research Center asked an important question earlier this year when it embarked on an ambitious project called Is College Worth It?: College Presidents, Public Assess Value, Quality and Mission of Higher Education. While most today believe that getting a good education is key to success in our society, this report revealed surprising issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price tag.</p> <p>Published last May, the study reported that a majority of Americans (57%) say that the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money. In addition, only 19% of 1,055 college presidents surveyed said they believe that the U.S. system is the best in the world. Four in 10 believe the higher education system is going in the wrong direction.</p> <p>"This report has triggered the beginning of rethinking about higher education," said Paul Taylor, lead author and director of the Pew Social and Demographics Trend project, under which Is College Worth It? was published.</p> <p>"We've noticed a number of trends in higher education in recent years. We've seen a record number of young adults enrolled in college. We've seen the cost of education at a record level [the cost of tuition and fees has more than tripled -- far outpacing inflation since the 1980s]. And, related to this, we've seen a rising student loan debt burden," said Taylor.</p> <p>To better understand and document any shifts, the Pew Research Center conducted two surveys: a telephone survey taken among a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older and an online survey, conducted in association with The Chronicle of Higher Education, with presidents of 1,055 two-year and four-year private, public, and for-profit colleges and universities.</p> <p>While both surveys revealed that the majority of the public felt it was not getting a good value for its money and presidents at large were dissatisfied with the direction of higher education, a long-held belief about the importance of higher education also remained true. For example, 57% of those surveyed said they did not get good value for their money with higher education, and 75% said that college is too expensive for most Americans. Yet 86% of college graduates said that college has been a good investment for them personally, 94% of parents surveyed said they expected their child to go to college, and most said that their earnings potential increased substantially with higher education.</p> <p>"We have an interesting tension in public opinion," said Taylor. "We asked people to monetize what college would be worth and how much less they would be making if they didn't have a degree; and those who didn't have a degree, how much more they would be making. The data shows that the public does have a sense that there is a real-world payoff with education. One comment made is that the public knows that the only thing more expensive than getting an education is not getting an education."</p> <p>According to the survey, adults with a college degree estimated, on average, that they earn $20,000 a year more because of having achieved a degree. The same held true for adults with only a high school diploma, who believed, on average, that they earn $20,000 a year less. This matched up with 2010 Census Bureau data, which showed that the earnings difference between a high school graduate and a college graduate was $19,550 a year.</p> <p>That higher education still remains a worthwhile investment for most doesn't negate, though, the concerns shared by the public and presidents about the cost and value of higher education in this country today.</p> <p>"On the college presidents' survey I think it is fair to say that our system of higher education has considered itself the envy of the world, and yet only 19% of college presidents said it was the best of the world now," said Taylor. "There is also a concern of declining student quality. These are real expressions of concerns."</p> <p>According to the survey, only 7% of presidents expected it to be the best in the world 10 years from now. Among presidents of highly selective colleges or universities, 40% said that the U.S. system was the best in the world, compared with 22% of heads of institutions of medium selectivity and 14% of heads of institutions of lower selectivity.</p> <p>While 60% of college presidents felt the U.S. system of higher education was going in the right direction, 38% said it was going in the wrong direction. The presidents of for-profit schools, a small but fast-growing sector, were the most negative. Two-thirds said that the higher education system is headed in the wrong direction, while majorities of presidents of four-year and two-year not-for-profit institutions said the system is headed in the right direction.</p> <p>Not only did college presidents rate the quality of higher education lower today than they might have 10 years ago, they rated students lower as well. About 60% said high schools were doing a worse job now than 10 years ago in preparing students for college. Only 6% said they were doing a better job. In addition, a majority of presidents (52%) said that college students study less now than they did 10 years ago.</p> <hd id="AN0083515473-2">Low Rankings</hd> <p>Sixty-four percent of the presidents believe it unlikely that President Obama will achieve his goal of having the highest share of young adults with a college degree or certificate of any country in the world by 2020. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States currently ranks 10th in the world in its percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds who have completed post-secondary education. Forty-two percent of the U.S. population has completed this level of education while South Korea, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, and Australia ranked higher.</p> <p>The Pew Research Center report set out to determine other factors that are involved in the selection and education of students. The majority of presidents surveyed, 60%, said that "artistic or other special talent" should be the only factor in admissions. On the other hand, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, and athletic ability should be at least minor factors in admissions, according to more than half of college presidents (though not among two-year or for-profit college presidents).</p> <p>According to the report, "Race or ethnicity, for example, should be a major (14%) or minor (48%) factor, according to nearly two-thirds of private four-year college presidents; among leaders of public four-year colleges, 13% consider it a major factor and 45% a minor factor. But among leaders of two-year schools, 66% say it should not be a factor, a sentiment shared by 77% of for-profit presidents."</p> <p>The presidents were split on the overall mission of their schools and higher education. While presidents of for-profit schools were more likely to focus on preparing students for work, other presidents considered intellectual growth more important.</p> <p>Looking at public opinion, a large percentage said the main purpose of a college education should be to teach work-related skills and knowledge (47%) rather than foster personal and intellectual growth (39%). On the other hand, college graduates placed more emphasis on personal and intellectual growth (52%) over career preparation (35%), while those who were not college graduates emphasized career preparation (51%) over personal growth (34%).</p> <p>The greatest concern raised by the report was the belief that students and their families pay a high price for an education that isn't necessarily preparing them for a career. In addition, large numbers of students can't afford to pursue a degree in higher education, despite their wishes to do so.</p> <p>Many of those with degrees are paying back loans that impact their quality of life. According to the report, "Among all survey respondents who took out college loans and are no longer in school, about half say that paying back the loan has made it harder to make ends meet; 25% say it has made it harder to buy a home; 24% say it has had no impact on the kind of career they are pursuing; and 7% say it has delayed their getting married or starting a family."</p> <p>While the number of students attending college steadily rises in the U.S., the majority do not attend four-year colleges. The primary reason: financial. Among survey respondents ages 18 to 24 who didn't have a bachelor's degree and weren't currently enrolled in school, two-thirds said their main reason for not continuing was their need to support their family. In addition, "Some 57% say they would rather work and make money, and 48% say they can't afford a college education."</p> <p>Unfortunately, young people who are not on a college track are disproportionately Hispanic. About two-thirds of Hispanics between ages 18 and 34, do not have a college degree and are not currently in school (compared with 47% of blacks and 45% of whites in the same age group).</p> <p>According to the study, "Those not on the college track are also more likely to come from low-income households. Among those younger than 35 with annual household incomes of less than $30,000, 59% do not have a college degree and are not currently enrolled. This compares with only 35% of those who come from households with incomes of $90,000 or higher."</p> <p>Despite low college-going rates, Hispanics were cited as considering higher education an important aspiration for them. And young people at large felt a college education was still important in helping them succeed in the world today.</p> <p>The question in this report, Is College Worth It? seems to have been answered with a definite "yes." Yet the report also reveals an urgent need for our nation to address the high cost and practical value of a college education that still remains out of reach for most Americans.</p> <p>From The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education</p> <p>Condensed, with permission, from The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, 21 (October 3, 2011), 10-12. Published at 80 Route 4 East, Ste. 203, Paramus, NJ 07652.</p> <aug> <p>By MICHELLE ADAM</p> <p></p> <p>Michelle Adam writes for The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.</p> </aug> |
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| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ978323 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 4 StartPage: 58 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Higher Education Type: general – SubjectFull: College Presidents Type: general – SubjectFull: Paying for College Type: general – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Institutional Mission Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Quality Type: general – SubjectFull: Public Opinion Type: general – SubjectFull: Surveys Type: general – SubjectFull: Costs Type: general – SubjectFull: Access to Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Cost Effectiveness Type: general – SubjectFull: United States Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: 'Is College Worth It?' Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Adam, Michelle IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 02 Type: published Y: 2012 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0013-127X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 77 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review Type: main |
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