The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone

The Atlantic ^ | 2017-12-07 | Bryan Caplan

[daniel1212]

Most college involves little more than a structured reading list. Law, medicine and engineering are exceptions IMHO. http://college.usatoday.com/2014/10/26/same-as-it-ever-was-top-10-most-popular-college-majors/

[I want the USA back]

It’s not for everyone. It’s stupid to lower standards to let some in, giving them remedial English courses and passing them in spite of failure.
Much of college is nonsense courses: White Privilige, feminism, trans-dick-chopping, and others.

[Wuli]

Yes, we are sometimes now seeing some good papers in the Atlantic. This one is a very good one.

I think it is an article in which many Conservatives might see ideas they already instinctively believe to be true, as life with their values and experience have shown them. Ours have come mostly through anecdotal experience and his have come through collecting, and studying the information.

[cymbeline]

“but runaway credential inflation”

Did you mean runaway colorectal inflation?

[dfwgator]

[oldtech]

College educations don’t seem to contribute much to the things that actually allow the nation to operate. Quite often,the occupations that really keep things moving along in the economy of a nation are the important jobs that don’t pay as well as those backed up by a “do nothing” college education that really doesn’t qualify a person for anything useful.

[Jim Noble]

90% of the students in college don’t belong there.

It’s a gigantic scam.

[wintertime]

If a job didn't need a college education in 1930, 1957, or 1983, it doesn't need one now.

Solution: Businesses should use SAT and ACT scores along with internships to identify bright and ambitious workers.

The SAT and ACT exams are well accepted as be free of racial or gender bias and are good measure of literacy and basic numeracy.

[DIRTYSECRET]

The fella in charge of the Manhattan Project helped develope the SAT. Trump will bring out the best.

[wintertime]

Even in the professions many of the courses are textbook based and change very little from year to year. These could easily be videotaped and students could take exams at a local approved testing center.

I hold a doctorate in one of the stem fields and at least half of my program did **not** require on-campus attendance. Laboratory and clinic rotations are, of course, and important exception.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Then how would these leftist educators make a living?

[Gamecock]

Some people would benefit from being in the military. Even the Army, no matter how “briefly.”

[BlackbirdSST]

but for the plurality (43%), there is no amount of money that could make them give the trades a second thought.

Yeah well, hunger is a strong motivator.

[Albion Wilde]

It absolutely would be better off if our Congress would guarantee not to ship all our industry overseas. We could have all kinds of trade schools. Leave academia to actual academics who do serious research, not “studies”—i.e. marxist indoctrination.

[Albion Wilde]

Graduate & Professional Degree ping

[lightman]

If everyone had a college degree, the result would be not great jobs for all, but runaway credential inflation.

Thirty five years ago in southcentral Pennsylvania only the Superintendent of the School District was expected to have a Ph.D.---maybe the assistant.

Then that degree became and expectation for High School Principals.

Now it is trickling down to Middle Schools and elementary schools.

Enough already!

[daniel1212]

he labor market doesn’t pay you for the useless subjects you master; it pays you for the preexisting traits you signal by mastering them.

I read years ago that the Army could enlist someone who did not graduate from High School due to grade (which likely hardly allowed to happen now) as long as they went the 12 years.

[daniel1212]

Much of college is nonsense courses:

Worst College Majors

[daniel1212]

Thirty five years ago in southcentral Pennsylvania only the Superintendent of the School District was expected to have a Ph.D.---maybe the assistant. Then that degree became and expectation for High School Principals. Now it is trickling down to Middle Schools and elementary schools. Enough already!

But which letters does not mean they as proficient than in the past.

Article worth reading: http://www.astorehouseofknowledge.info/w/Education_in_the_United_States

[daniel1212]

The SAT and ACT exams are well accepted as be free of racial or gender bias and are good measure of literacy and basic numeracy. Up

on seeing this I felt that was impossible today. What is not free of racial or gender bias?  Search results SAT test termed racist