> People are skeptical, I think, because many degree programs have opened up for which there is little use for their output, and little employment opportunities afterwards. Not only that, but many existing and useful programs have pivoted away from useful work and building on other knowledge
I mean this attitude is ultimately the problem and almost uniquely an American thing. College is always couched in the concept of necessity for work. But the intention of college is education, which is tied to work but not 1:1. In order to compete on the global stage we need artists, writers, people willing to specialize in cultural affairs. Having educated workers and cutting edge solutions requires the effort of a diversely educated workforce.
That pivot towards college being purely for work is why we're in this place to begin with. Rather than having be a public good, we use it as a barrier for the middle and upper classes to have better paying jobs. The exorbitant price follows because colleges know the people they want to admit can pay it. And then they further spend that money on things unrelated to educational pursuits to attract wealthier students.
I very deliberately chose my wording as "little use for their output" specifically because I think that there is a lot of use for cultural output. There is however a shift in many programs away from making things that are actually useful, and more towards the output of papers/research/reports for their own sake. There is usually only the thinnest of lip service towards any results having to be novel or show anything new, and little work goes into understanding the state of the art, resulting in vast amounts of duplicated effort.
> In order to compete on the global stage we need artists, writers, people willing to specialize in cultural affairs.
I agree with you, but the students still need to pay for that college education. Americans especially end up with a lot of (undischargeable) student loans because of higher education. It's a luxury to get a degree as an artist, writer, or something in the arts, without having to worry about how you will repay those loans.
I mean this attitude is ultimately the problem and almost uniquely an American thing. College is always couched in the concept of necessity for work. But the intention of college is education, which is tied to work but not 1:1. In order to compete on the global stage we need artists, writers, people willing to specialize in cultural affairs. Having educated workers and cutting edge solutions requires the effort of a diversely educated workforce.
That pivot towards college being purely for work is why we're in this place to begin with. Rather than having be a public good, we use it as a barrier for the middle and upper classes to have better paying jobs. The exorbitant price follows because colleges know the people they want to admit can pay it. And then they further spend that money on things unrelated to educational pursuits to attract wealthier students.