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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172
Lynn_B Offline OP
Koala
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Koala
Joined: Feb 2006
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Do the benefits (individual and societal) of college education still outweigh the costs? Charles Miller, the man who chaired the Department of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, had this to say about higher education in today's world: "Could the cost of higher education in the current form have reached a level too high for a positive economic return to society as a whole, as well as the individual?"

See Rick Green's article, College a No-Brainer No Longer, in today's Courant for info and additional commentary on this situation.

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Gecko
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The cost-benefits really depend on the major. We were watching Dirty Jobs the other night, and the business owners, doing a VERY nasty job, both had college degrees - in Philosophy. Obviously, not a cost-effective degree! But some areas WILL be more cost-effective, especially for those who go to in-state schools, and even more so if they go locally and live at home. My son's future BSCS should end up costing around $20,000 -- something that will definitely be made up in the difference in salary vs if he hadn't gone to college! If he were majoring in philosophy, um, I wouldn't be so sure.


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Lynn_B Offline OP
Koala
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Koala
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Do you feel students will forego their "dreams" as college rates rise and funding continues to shrink? (The implication underlying some of Miller's argument...)

I'm not seeing it right now. Students are still going after college degrees, even if/when they have to pay higher prices.

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Gecko
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It will be interesting to see what happens. I suspect that we will get some economic backlash down the road from the recession, gas prices, etc., but I think it might be as much a change in what colleges students attend, and/or what degrees they pursue. (As opposed to their dreams of being an art or philosophy major, they may opt for business or some other "secure" field.)

Given the difference between in and out of state tuition, I suspect a lot more local schools will see an influx, even lower tier schools. We didn't feel the out-of-state tuition was worth the added benefit of closer-to-level peers ds would have had at his "dream" school, so he is going to our local and very low tier school. (They have pretty low admissions standards, and never have filled up to my knowledge.) The plus side for me is -- I get to keep him home longer! ;-)

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Parakeet
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My sister is an architecture major and is considering adding engineering as her Masters rather than the architecture masters (She has to go 5 years to get the architecture degree)

Architecture takes longer to earn good money and has a long training period associated with getting a good job.

I would think many students would rather get a degree to earn secure income, rather than liberal arts. However the the girls on my sister's college softball team who were graduating this year were mostly PE majors or some liberal arts type degree and had no real idea of what they were going to seek a job doing-mostly "I'll be a teacher if nothing else comes up."


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