A huge perceptual error to do with American higher education, as articulated by Dr. Steve Mason ('The Myth of Higher Education', Integra , No. 9, Oct. 2010) is orientating it explicitly for the utilitarian purpose of making money or getting a job. As he writes:
"the bottom line regarding a well -rounded education is that it has nothing to do with any kind of bottom line. Its value (non-monetary) is to be found in the quality it adds to one's life. It allows one to better appreciate music, art, history and literature. It contributes to a better understanding of language and culture, nature and philosophy. It expands rather than limits horizons and replaces faith and belief with reason and logic"
A failure to appreciate Mason's point may be one important reason why now, some 12 years plus later, we find (e.g. WSJ, March 31, p. A3,
"A majority of Americans
don’t think a college degree is worth the cost, according to a new Wall Street
Journal-NORC poll. The survey found that 56% of Americans think earning a 4 year degree is a bd bet, compared with 42 % who retain faith in the credential."
But what does a "bad bet" mean? Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, cited two huge problems contributing to the low polling:
"Dr. Mitchell cited student
debt, which has reached $1.7 trillion, and the 60% graduation rate at four-year
colleges as two big problems undermining confidence in the sector."
Going under the 'hood' then, the reasons for the lower polling are obvious:
1) The level of student debt now has even those who successfully completed a degree questioning their choice. This is supported when one also reads in the piece:
"42% of
people with college degrees said in the most recent survey that it wasn’t worth
it, up more than 10 percentage points from the two polls last decade."
2) Those who attended but never finished (e.g. 40 percent) would clearly have jaundiced views given they had poured money in, but didn't get as much out, i.e. a recognized Bachelors degree.
In the case of (1), it is logical those now employed in lower -paying jobs than they expected would be convinced they were gypped by investing in college. They believe they "didn't get what they paid for" so are pissed off. I get it.
But as Dr. Mason goes on to point out (ibid.) the real purpose of a college degree is "to teach a person how to live, not how to earn the best living." So if a person graduated from Brown with an Anthropology degree, but now finds herself working as a Barista at Starbucks, all is not lost. Or shouldn't be. She has still obtained a well-rounded education - likely in many areas- - preparing her to live a life of insight and quality. (Though this may be difficult to accept if she is saddled with a $150k college loan debt. )
But here is where the advice given by recent graduates in a NY Times piece - on how they value their college degrees now - may shed light. And almost to a person they advised - in hindsight of course - it would have been better to pass over that invitation to attend an "Ivy" in favor of a public college or university. In most cases, they'd have received just as complete an education, and at a half or a third the college loan cost.
In the case of (2) there is not much really to be said. That 40 percent who didn't complete the attempted degree actually did make a bad bet. A better one might have been to have chosen a Vocational-Technical school route as opposed to 4-year college or university. Or even a two-year (community college) but with preparation in a practical area. Writing in the Denver Post in 2014, educational adviser Dick Hilker quotes the State educational system's government relations director:
As Hilker goes on to note:
"In other words there are solid alternatives to spending big bucks at Big State U. to major in Tibetan Culture or Music Appreciation before winding up as a clerk at Mega-Mart."
That advice is as sound now as then and if more prospective students were aware of their Vo-tech options and alternatives (to a four year college) there might well be fewer bad choices made and less student debt. Oh, and less negative polling on the value of college.
But for those who have made the investment in college, Mason's points remain valid. And I suspect if they examined their lives closely they'd see how they have benefited in many intangible areas (like critical thinking) - if not in the "bottom line". As for the reported "general disaffection across all age groups" I attribute that more to the effects of the pandemic which has truly dislocated and disrupted mental perceptions across the board. Let us move fully out of the shadow of the pandemic's effects (including the current inflation, which is now down to 5 % by the way) and then take another poll.
In many respects, getting a college education (and degree) is one of the best investments one will ever make - irrespective of the school of choice. They key issues are what area/ areas one chooses to specialize in, and the extent to which one makes the most of his total college experience.
In many ways then college is well worth the cost if the choices are made judiciously and the experience itself lived wholeheartedly.
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