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.
For the last 40 years, higher education has been the dominant performer of basic research in the United States, but there has been a slide in higher education’s share over the last 20 years as businesses have increased their performance of basic R&D (Figure 1). If the current trendline continues, businesses will soon surpass higher education as basic R&D performers and become the predominant basic R&D performer just as they have been in applied R&D for decades.
For the last 40 years, higher education has been the dominant performer of basic research in the United States, but there has been a slide in higher education’s share over the last 20 years as businesses have increased their performance of basic R&D (Figure 1). If the current trendline continues, businesses will soon surpass higher education as basic R&D performers and become the predominant basic R&D performer just as they have been in applied R&D for decades.
By 2031, 72 percent of jobs in the US will require postsecondary education and/or training, according to a 2023 report by Georgetown University. The authors contend, “Postsecondary education is no longer just the preferred pathway to middle-class jobs—it is, increasingly, the only pathway.”
By 2031, 72 percent of jobs in the US will require postsecondary education and/or training, according to a 2023 report by Georgetown University. The authors contend, “Postsecondary education is no longer just the preferred pathway to middle-class jobs—it is, increasingly, the only pathway.”
But the average cost of college tuition and fees at public four-year institutions has risen 179.2% over the last two decades, according to the Education Data Initiative and a public seemingly less convinced about the worth of higher education,—two-year colleges, also referred to as community colleges or technical schools, are seen as a reliable alternative for a quality postsecondary education, and are valued for their affordability and accessibility to obtaining the degrees or credentials needed to ensure a dynamic and skilled national workforce.
Public perceptions of higher education are complex and multifaceted. A Chronicle of Higher Education 2023 report found that while Americans believe in the value of a college credential, they are not convinced higher education is fulfilling its promise to society; nonetheless, many recent polls, surveys, and reports also conclude that people, whether they have a four-year degree or not, would advise others to pursue one.
With classes resuming for the fall term, SSTI thought now would be a good time to reflect on the state of higher education. In this issue and the September 5 issue, we’ll examine where higher ed has been and where it currently stands. The post-secondary education system is the cornerstone of the American innovation system—as R&D performer, moving research into the marketplace, offering technical assistance to companies, and supplying a skilled workforce.
Two-year colleges have gone through various changes in recent decades. The following are highlights of some of them.
College enrollment
Two-year colleges have gone through various changes in recent decades. The following are highlights of some of them.
College enrollment
Encouraging more people to attend or go back to college is a vital part of ensuring individual and national economic success, but with rising costs of attending traditional four-year colleges and a public seemingly less convinced about the worth of higher education, two-year colleges, also referred to as community colleges or technical schools, are seen as a reliable alternative for a quality postsecondary education, and are valued for their affordability and accessibility to obtaining the degrees or credentials needed to ensure a dynamic and skilled national workforce.
Earlier this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) released Open for Business: Illinois' 2024 Economic Growth Plan, a comprehensive five-year plan to guide the state’s economic development priorities, strategies, and initiatives.
The educational landscape of the United States has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades, with the percentage of individuals 25 and older having earned a bachelor's degree steadily increasing since the 1990s. Nationwide, 20% of those aged at least 25 had a bachelor’s degree in 1990, while in 2021 this figure jumped to 38%. However, educational attainment varies greatly across states. Many states, such as Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, alongside 15 other states, fall above the national value of 38% in 2021.
In 2000, the United States was among the global leaders in educational attainment, boasting the third-highest percentage of its 25- to-64-year-old population with a postsecondary degree across the 38 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations. However, over the past two decades, the U.S. has gradually slipped in the rankings, falling to ninth place by 2022 even as the percentage of the population with a postsecondary degree increased from 36% to 50%.
The landscape of American higher education has transformed dramatically since Harvard’s founding in 1636. What began as a handful of institutions primarily focused on training clergymen in the American colonies has expanded into a vast and diverse system of colleges and universities. Today, students pursue degrees across a wide and ever-growing range of fields.
Bachelor’s degrees are no longer required for many jobs
2023 was a watershed moment in the history of the bachelor’s degree. Against a backdrop of a historically tight labor market, persistent talent shortages, and rising skepticism of the value of higher education, numerous state governments and major corporations dropped college degree requirements for many of their jobs.
The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, a program authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, targets areas where the share of prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average.
The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, a program authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, targets areas where the share of prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average. The program’s goal, according to a press release from EDA, is “closing this gap through flexible, locally-driven investments.”
EDA has selected six implementation awardees for funding from the 22 Recompete Finalists, with individual award amounts to be finalized in the coming months.
In a recent State of the Science address, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt called attention to what she sees as an alarming trend: the federal contribution to basic research is stagnating while industry funding is rising. The federal share of U.S. spending on basic research, she said, was down from about 60% in 2011 to 40% in 2021.
Following its announcement of implementation awards to 12 Tech Hubs regions, the U.S. Economic Development Administration made Consortium Accelerator Awards of $500,000 to each of the additional 19 Tech Hubs designated regions.
Following its announcement of implementation awards to 12 Tech Hubs regions, the U.S. Economic Development Administration made Consortium Accelerator Awards of $500,000 to each of the additional 19 Tech Hubs designated regions. This funding should enable regions to continue dedicated efforts to strengthen their strategies and partnerships and to pursue alternative sources of implementation project funding.
This year’s legislative sessions saw a handful of governors and lawmakers proposing noteworthy reforms or other changes to their states’ institutions of higher education—from system overhauls to the expansion of tuition-free community college programs—all in efforts to align their state’s education investments with current and future workforce needs, as well as address future costs under tightening budgets.
Restructuring higher education systems
Note: This brief quasi-book review/book synopsis is the first item in an experimental new section of SSTI’s newsletter, potentially joining other regular sections such as Useful Stats, Fed/Leg News, State News, Member Updates, and Recent Research. Its periodic continuation after the contributions we present over the summer will depend on feedback from our members and Digest readers. Comments may be shared with skinner @ ssti.org
The positive impacts of addressing any single priority for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission could be of only marginal benefit without simultaneous efforts along other key priorities, warns the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT Report to Congress: Decarbonizing U.S.
On Aug. 1, Massachusetts lawmakers ended their 19-month formal session.
On Aug. 1, Massachusetts lawmakers ended their 19-month formal session. In the flurry of legislation that was passed, the Legislature failed to agree on the governor’s proposed $3.5 billion economic development package (the Mass Leads Act), which featured $2.8 billion in bond authorizations combined with tax credits and considered a top priority for both the administration and legislative leaders.
Significant differences between the House and Senate versions of the FY 25 budget numbers for science and the quadrennial election cycle might explain the increased language one hears concerning national security, competitiveness and global economic conditions. Data presented in a July issue brief by the National Science Board (NSB), however, should help raise the issue to encourage honest discussion about how the federal government will take on the challenges to U.S. leadership in innovation. Additionally, a new paper from the Aspen Strategy Group et al.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a new $25 million Good Jobs Challenge Notice of Funding Opportunity for investment in high-quality, locally led workforce training programs that lead to good jobs.
The U.S. Department of Defense released requests for information regarding a new loan program for critical technologies that will be launched through the Office of Strategic Capital.
The U.S. Department of Defense released requests for information regarding a new loan program for critical technologies that will be launched through the Office of Strategic Capital. The office, launched in 2022, has focused on a Small Business Investment Company-Critical Technologies (SBICCT) license that can provide technical and cybersecurity expertise and resources to funds willing to concentrate their portfolios on certain tech.
The U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), recently announced the site selection process for the first three CHIPS for America Research and Development (R&D) facilities for the NSTC and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP).
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has made multiple announcements about the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) in recent weeks, including new program approvals, providing an update on uses of funds through the first two years of the program, and highlighting venture capital success stories, and releasing a database of participating lenders. In addition to covering these updates below, SSTI is collecting Treasury’s resources in revised SSBCI tracking pages.
A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new artificial intelligence-focused Manufacturing USA institute is now available on Grants.gov. The U.S.
The five-year-old NSF Convergence Accelerator, which has funded nationwide research projects to address major societal challenges, is adding 10 “anchors” to focus on regional challenges. The regional anchor organizations will engage in the same solution development for underserved, underrepresented organizations and communities as the current national program. However, as part of the regional expansion, NSF aims to reach more local communities to help solve challenges that are especially meaningful to a particular region.