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More than 1 million fewer students are enrolled in college now than before the pandemic began. According to new data released Thursday, U.S. colleges and universities saw a drop of nearly 500,000 undergraduate students in the fall of 2021, continuing a historic decline that began the previous fall.
The bulk of the reduction has come from community colleges.
From the article, college enrollment has been declining since 2012. Before the pandemic it was due to a smaller student cohort. That situation won't improve, so I think it's safe to say that colleges and universities have already seen peak enrollment that won't increase for the foreseeable future.
But while community colleges and less prestigious four year colleges are seeing big declines, I bet admission is still competitive at the best universities. If anything more people than ever recognize the premium of a prestige education.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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It's a very good idea to WORK / earn income while the opportunities are still ripe. That will not last forever.
Additionally, when a student returns to college after a stint working / military / volunteering, they are far more incentized, focused and contribute more to their cohort. When they graduate from college (having worked before or during) they are often far superior in benefit to their employer and community.
Over 1 million students have left college in the past two years Count me as one who affirms. (As a teacher, prof, parent, aged student, and employer / job creator)
The bulk of the reduction has come from community colleges.
From the article, college enrollment has been declining since 2012. Before the pandemic it was due to a smaller student cohort. That situation won't improve, so I think it's safe to say that colleges and universities have already seen peak enrollment that won't increase for the foreseeable future.
But while community colleges and less prestigious four year colleges are seeing big declines, I bet admission is still competitive at the best universities. If anything more people than ever recognize the premium of a prestige education.
How is prestige defined at the college level? Private Ivy League only? Top 20, 50, or 100 US News ranked colleges? Public states or more expensive privates? Agree that the higher ranked colleges will always be competitive. Prestige is overrated (especially at undergraduate level)...is really what you do in college and after college in the workplace that is most important. College affordability is a main factor for most...and a big reason for the declines at the community college level.
Nobody wants to take Zoom classes. At some elite colleges, students stayed only because they don't want to drop out and not be able to come back. The tuition is not reduced but all you get is online learning. What a scam. With community colleges, you can drop out and come back anytime.
Nobody wants to take Zoom classes. At some elite colleges, students stayed only because they don't want to drop out and not be able to come back. The tuition is not reduced but all you get is online learning. What a scam. With community colleges, you can drop out and come back anytime.
Article says only something like 5% of CC students came back after in person learning resumed.
The draw of a robust entry level job market was probably the bigger factor.
How is prestige defined at the college level? Private Ivy League only? Top 20, 50, or 100 US News ranked colleges? Public states or more expensive privates? Agree that the higher ranked colleges will always be competitive. Prestige is overrated (especially at undergraduate level)...is really what you do in college and after college in the workplace that is most important. College affordability is a main factor for most...and a big reason for the declines at the community college level.
There is a very thin slice of people who care one whit about the college you got your bachelors degree from, they exist primarily in the remnants of provincial New England and similar environs. Most everybody who are themselves makers, thinkers and producers, in all aspects, care about what you are doing and thinking about today and what you’ve learned about your experiences, successes and failures of your past.
I had a great time in a local state college but came from an educator’s family, my father was a Dean and Vice President of a college and I very much saw the “man behind the curtain” aspect of that institution so never took it too serious and got out of it with zero debt and a marketable enough degree but never thought or was taught that that was ever the only pathway to success.
Nobody wants to take Zoom classes. At some elite colleges, students stayed only because they don't want to drop out and not be able to come back. The tuition is not reduced but all you get is online learning. What a scam. With community colleges, you can drop out and come back anytime.
I'm not sure it is a scam. It's more work for the instructors, and they put a lot of effort not only into preparing video lectures, but in interacting with students online, and as always, being available for "office hours" (online) to offer guidance, answer questions, and so on. The instructors/professors want to get paid, so they need to retain a good level of enrollment so their classes won't be dropped for not meeting the minimum enrollment requirement.
There is a very thin slice of people who care one whit about the college you got your bachelors degree from, they exist primarily in the remnants of provincial New England and similar environs. Most everybody who are themselves makers, thinkers and producers, in all aspects, care about what you are doing and thinking about today and what you’ve learned about your experiences, successes and failures of your past.
I had a great time in a local state college but came from an educator’s family, my father was a Dean and Vice President of a college and I very much saw the “man behind the curtain” aspect of that institution so never took it too serious and got out of it with zero debt and a marketable enough degree but never thought or was taught that that was ever the only pathway to success.
Similar environs usually being wealthy "old money" areas. I also took the public state college, zero debt, marketable degree route as an undergraduate although some of my wealthy buddies attended the more expensive in state privates.
There is a very thin slice of people who care one whit about the college you got your bachelors degree from, they exist primarily in the remnants of provincial New England and similar environs. Most everybody who are themselves makers, thinkers and producers, in all aspects, care about what you are doing and thinking about today and what you’ve learned about your experiences, successes and failures of your past.
I had a great time in a local state college but came from an educator’s family, my father was a Dean and Vice President of a college and I very much saw the “man behind the curtain” aspect of that institution so never took it too serious and got out of it with zero debt and a marketable enough degree but never thought or was taught that that was ever the only pathway to success.
Unfortunately. the prestigious degree still counts a lot for certain desirable programs, professional graduate schools, and industries. The kid graduating from (to use random examples) the University of South Carolina may be as smart and ambitious as the kid graduating from Stanford. But the latter will have a much easier time landing a slot in medical school or a job at a prestigious Wall Street firm, one of the big tech outfits, a major management consulting company, or a mainstream media outlet. For those with such ambitions, yes, the educational pedigree does matter. For others, not so much.
Last edited by citylove101; 01-14-2022 at 08:02 PM..
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