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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Total postsecondary enrollment is down 5% from fall 2019 to fall 2023 due to a 6% drop in undergraduate students. While undergraduates are down, graduate students have surpassed pre-pandemic enrollment numbers by 4%. Enrollments in undergraduate and graduate certificates are up significantly from pre-pandemic values (16% and 21%), while enrollment in associate degrees are down more than any other undergraduate credential (-14%).