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The Decline (and Fall?) of College. Universities could go the way of the Roman Empire. But they don’t have to.
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | June 30, 2023 | Richard K. Vedder

Posted on 06/30/2023 10:39:27 AM PDT by karpov

A majority of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost,” wrote Wall Street Journal reporter Douglas Belkin in late March. That revelation was inspired by the results of a survey of over 1,000 adults by the highly respected research organization NORC (formerly National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago, in conjunction with WSJ.

Worse yet for colleges, the proportion of Americans with unfavorable assessments of an undergraduate degree’s worth has been rising steadily and rather considerably over the past decade and probably longer. A decade ago, an already worrisome 40 percent thought colleges were “not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.” Now that proportion has risen to 56 percent.

At one time, public dissatisfaction with college was far stronger among Republicans, rural citizens, and males than among Democrats, urban dwellers, and females. But even here the data are discouraging for universities, with significant upticks in negative reactions from previously supportive groups. To colleges, the most frightening trend should be that younger (near college-age) adults have become markedly less fervent believers in the positive economic advantages of a college degree.

Probably the most significant spokesperson for the higher-education community is Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council of Education, who concedes the new data are “sobering … and in some ways a wake-up call.”

To be sure, the operational impact of this negative attitudinal change no doubt varies considerably across the higher-education landscape. I doubt the administration and faculty at Harvard or Stanford are worrying much, but employees at mid- or lower-reputation schools should be concerned, as should present and prospective students and those marketing the bonds with which universities finance capital improvements and other needs.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: college; education
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1 posted on 06/30/2023 10:39:27 AM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov

This is the impact of public brainwashing. People know college is expensive. Many don’t know how a college education will help them personally. And yet, they’ve been told they must have a college degree in order to succeed.


2 posted on 06/30/2023 10:45:38 AM PDT by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: karpov

Most colleges should disappear or at least shrink significantly. Begin with eliminating anything with “studies” in the title.

Then ditch the athletic departments. Concentrate on academics.


3 posted on 06/30/2023 10:46:47 AM PDT by cyclotic
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To: karpov
The Decline (and Fall?) of College.

Yes, Please, Pretty Please!!


4 posted on 06/30/2023 10:48:08 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: karpov

I was in General Construction of large projects. Due to the large contract issues I used to have people assume I was an Attorney, or a Registered Engineer, Architect or MBA. I always told then that “No, those people work for me but I was an Army Mess Sergeant.”


5 posted on 06/30/2023 10:52:56 AM PDT by KC Burke (Diversity, Inclusion and Equity is not another way to spell GOD but it is a way to spell DIE.)
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To: karpov

Universities provide degrees without value. They waste the time of the people who get degrees because laws exist that force employers to demand degrees of any type or risk having to hire the first idiot who walks through the door. Its not that a college teaches anything of value. Almost everything in a college can be found on google or youtube. And I say almost because you need a college for a frat party.

Its legal to look at a college and degree and grade point average and say “I’ll take you.” or “Sorry, your not what we want.” You can say anything about a previous employer or skills, which may or may not be true. But colleges can be checked easy enough. And that tells you the person in front of you either got the degree or is a Kennedy. And those odds are better than anyone without a degree.


6 posted on 06/30/2023 10:54:02 AM PDT by poinq
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To: karpov

Learn a trade. Put a useless college professor out of a job.


7 posted on 06/30/2023 11:01:39 AM PDT by blackdog ((Z28.310) My dog Sam eats purple flowers.)
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To: karpov

The whole debate over Fed.gov discharging student loan debt proves that “higher education’s” cost and bloat is a purposeful government (now leftist) political project, funded by Fed.gov printed, fiat, debt-money.


8 posted on 06/30/2023 11:02:01 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: karpov

wow its “awake-up call”? He must have been sleeping hard.


9 posted on 06/30/2023 11:02:56 AM PDT by poinq
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To: poinq

It’s the year-round trimester system that’s needed in the community colleges. Two years can be compacted into 4 trimesters.

Would you hire full time a 19 year-old who’s got girls on his mind? So you make them part-time till they prove their worth or else time-out unemployment with each finished job. No full winters off.


10 posted on 06/30/2023 11:12:29 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (e allowed )
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To: karpov

We definitely need some sort of major reset.


11 posted on 06/30/2023 11:13:55 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: karpov

You can get a college degree on youtube. 😏


12 posted on 06/30/2023 11:18:54 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: karpov

How’s attendance? It really doesn’t matter if people (probably mostly post college age) think it’s worth it. If people are going, that’s all the colleges care about. They just need to look at politics, most of the country thinks both parties suck, and yet who wins all the elections.


13 posted on 06/30/2023 11:20:46 AM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: karpov

Democrats are famous for saying...”The rich need to pay their fair share”...

Universities have endowments upwards of $41 Billion...richer than any individual.

How about a serious tax on all university endowments...time they paid their “fair share”...


14 posted on 06/30/2023 11:32:34 AM PDT by Herodes
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To: karpov

Why would a white male in particular attend just about any non stem college or university and be told that he is a racist, homophobe, sexists, misognist etc. etc. and the USA is a racist, fascist, etc. etc. country in about half of his classes and pay thousand of dollars to hear that.


15 posted on 06/30/2023 11:42:24 AM PDT by Maine Mariner
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To: poinq

Unfortunately, many professions require a four year degree as an entry requirement. At one time both law and accountancy did not require degrees-just pass the bar exam or the CPA exam.


16 posted on 06/30/2023 11:44:35 AM PDT by Maine Mariner
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To: cyclotic

Students are wising up and are going to learn what will benefit them in the future. Many majors are to teach students how to be bureaucrats and drain off the government largesse. Athletics are entertainment operations to make money for the school.


17 posted on 06/30/2023 11:55:40 AM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and harder to find.)
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To: PGR88

Yup, absolutely correct. The colleges don’t care as long as the gubmint doh-re-mi keeps on a flowin’. I never give any more money to my ex colleges. I paid them for the education already. Not paying for woke propaganda.


18 posted on 06/30/2023 12:01:04 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and harder to find.)
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To: karpov

If you want a career in a STEM field, law, medicine, or simply want to teach at the college level then a degree is usually necessary.

But, nearly all other degrees are worthless.


19 posted on 06/30/2023 12:16:08 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: Getready

Santa Clara is my alma mater. It still has the romantic attachment to Mission Santa Clara, founded 1777. Substantial portions of mission construction dating to 1822 are present on campus today.

Yet it’s become yet another indoctrination mill (run by the Jesuits, what would you expect?)

I went back not too long ago after ten years absence. All of the buildings are mission style, or a modern interpretation thereof. The architecture of the numerous new buildings was nothing less than glorious, paid for from their extortion-level tuition. I enjoyed seeing them, all the more so because I did not donate dime one to their construction, and never will


20 posted on 06/30/2023 12:16:36 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (22 years on Free Republic, 12/10/22! more then 6500 replies and still not shutting up!)
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