Higher education: where do we stand?

With classes resuming for the fall term, SSTI continues its reflection on the state of higher education. In last week's issue, today's and next week's, we’re examining where higher ed has been and where it currently stands. The post-secondary education system is the cornerstone of the American innovation system—as an R&D performer, moving research into the marketplace, offering technical assistance to companies, and supplying a skilled workforce. The challenges are significant—eroding public support for universities, cuts to state funding during each economic downturn that takes years to recover, and burgeoning tuition and student debt.
 
In today’s issue, we consider public attitudes toward higher education and its value. Attitudes have changed over time, from thinking of a college education as something for the wealthy to thinking that all high school graduates should go to college and now back to a growing opinion that not everyone needs to go to college. We also consider different societal contexts that have influenced public attitudes toward higher education, such as the rising costs of attending, the expected return on investment, and political affiliation.

Then, we examine higher education’s 20-year decline in dominance of basic research. While higher education is still a significant player, businesses have increased their performance of basic R&D.

Finally, we conclude this week’s reporting on higher ed by examining how two-year colleges are evolving in terms of enrollment, focus on vocational education, lowering or eliminating tuition, consolidation, and expanded offerings that include bachelor's degrees.

This article was prepared by SSTI using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070129 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.