The possibility of converting college education to an online -- rather than in person -- experience, has many questioning the cost of a college degree. Of course, if such a conversion caused a reduction in tuition, the universities would still be stuck with the massive overhead of the land and buildings they own.
The debate is not new. Following the Great Recession, many questioned the value proposition of a college degree as many graduates couldn't find jobs with incomes sufficient to pay off their student loans. Historical data continues to support the value of a degree in terms of lifetime income differentials between those that have one and those that don't. But past is not prologue.
I have been questioning the value of a college degree for some time. I first wrote about it in 2012 (Is the education we want the education we need?), pointing out that industrial powerhouse Germany relies on an apprentice program to enable the middle class to obtain good-paying jobs.
In the following year, my headline read "Don't Send Your Kids to College." In that post, I suggested we not take it as an article of faith that a degree will provide the skills to get a good job and recommended parents and students take "responsibility for the outcome, discovering what employers want" to get the training and education that's right for the job market.
In 2015, I suggested we replace our expensive universities with a lower overhead model that combined online education with semi-annual visits to lower cost facilities in "It's time to replace our universities with..."
Later, I asked the rhetorical question "When will the university bubble burst?" Perhaps the time is NOW!
WHO WILL LEAD?
A liberal arts education is a "pre-something" route to post graduate work - pre-law, pre-med, pre-social work, pre physical therapist, pre-business, pre-training program, pre-divinity school, etc. It does not really prepare you to do any specific work, except possibly teaching (and even that requires a follow up masters degree). It teaches thinking skills and theoretically exposes you to differing points of view so you can critically dissect arguments and come up with your own conclusions. Guidance counselors have been pushing the college route at least since WWII - the boomers grew up on it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, a BS in engineering or nursing or a degree from a military academy will land you a job in your field right out of school.
We need similar emphasis placed on skilled trades programs. I have a couple college capable friends who went that route and have had extremely successful and profitable careers in sprinkle installation and plumbing.