The university lottery
Students are veering away from dodgy degrees. Governments should help them
IT IS fashionable to be gloomy about the costs and benefits of a degree. In America a majority of people now tell pollsters that they think going to university is not worth it. For the average undergraduate that is far from the truth. In rich countries people who hold a bachelor’s degree earn over 40% more than those who do not. This premium has remained lofty, even as the number of university-goers has soared: some 33m people are studying undergraduate degrees across the rich world today.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Higher expectations”
From the April 8th 2023 edition
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