Attention Economy


Saturday, February 19, 2022

Economics of Higher Education - Post-Pandemic Trends

US college enrollment another victim of COVID?
https://www.dw.com/en/finding-a-good-job-why-are-american-students-skipping-college/a-60767851
For a decade, US student enrollment numbers in undergraduate programs have been headed down. With wages up, ever more would-be students seem attracted to paychecks rather than higher education.
 
Climb or Die: When the college enrollment crisis comes, many small private colleges won’t survive.
https://medium.com/georgetown-cew/climb-or-die-fe4d7450b4de
With elite private colleges and public college systems likely to withstand the enrollment cliff, smaller, less-selective private colleges will be left to compete for a shrinking pool of applicants. Colleges need to offer students prestige or career preparation, or have a large endowment or unique niche, to have a competitive advantage. Many small private colleges in areas of declining populations have none of these attributes. They are more or less interchangeable in the eyes of prospective students, and some will not succeed in a crowded field.

College endowments aren’t piggy banks. But some experts say wealthy schools could spend more.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/02/19/wealthy-university-endowments/

 
My Thoughts:
Is the US higher education bubble about to burst?
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/590971-will-the-us-higher-education-bubble-finally-burst
Does US higher education need fundamental reforms to survive and thrive? [with B. Kench]
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/534350-does-us-higher-education-need-fundamental-reforms-to-survive-and-thrive
The COVID-19 shock may fundamentally alter the economics of private colleges [07/27/20]
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/509101-the-covid-19-shock-may-fundamentally-alter-the-economics-of-private