154 - Why Americans Have Lost Faith In College

The internet was hit by a bombshell last month, with data on whether college degrees earn back their return on investment. The answer is…complicated.

An article from the New York Times entitled Americans Are Losing Faith In College. Whose Fault Is That? caused a massive stir in both the education community and with students. New data shows that the promise of college - that you’ll make back more money than the degree costs - has tipped in the wrong direction. For many Americans, the benefit from certain degrees has become “indistinguishable from zero” on the job market, according to the report.

Todd and Joe discuss the most significant findings from this study, especially where faith in the college system is concerned. If less than half of American parents believe sending their kids to college is a good thing, then where does that leave us as a nation? What happens economically when Canada and England have double our enrollment rates? How do we educate a nation if the only colleges left are hyper-expensive elite ivy league? And if jobs are getting more complicated, not less, how will train the next batch of American workers?

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html