Should working-class people go to college?

Sherry--I just heard Steven Dubner and Steven Leavitt talk about this on the Freakonomics podcast. The research they spoke of pointed to real financial benefits to completing a four year degree. That research was based on Vietnam Era decisions by people to attend or not and doesn't control for everything, but the findings are compelling.

College has changed so much, though, since then, and even in the last 20 years, and the number of unpaid internships college grads often take must change the earning dynamics, at least in the short term.

I'm looking forward to digging into your research when I get a moment.

There’s certainly no shame in *not* pursuing a traditional four-year degree; that perception needs to be changed. The key is cultivating learning environments (at all price points) that build "soft skills" like adaptability, critical-thinking and innovation.

Another issue: perceived prestige. A class taken at Harvard will be perceived as higher quality than a class taken at vocational school, even if it follows the same syllabus and is taught by the same professor. In this scenario, the value lies in the network of connections that come from a Harvard education rather than anything intrinsic to the class itself.

Our workforce model is shifting; today’s best-employed workers are those who continually re-invent. Vocational training can respond to this reality by expanding their networks, preparing students for lifetime learning (rather than an expectation of long-term single-employer stability), and providing hard skills training in cutting-edge industries.

A related point: There's been interesting discussion lately that (maybe unfairly) pits Bill Gates against Steve Jobs in the "tech skills vs liberal education" debate: http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/21/engineering-vs-liberal-arts-who’s-right—bill-or-steve/

Posted Apr 20, 2011

I would say there needs to be a purpose to attend college. So many people go to college just to go to college. Then they are stuck with a degree and no real direction, which is unfortunate. I wish more people realized the opprotunities in degrees that focus on the STEM categories. There is an imbalance, more people tend to recieve liberal arts degrees but the opportunites are in STEM.

In my opinion, working class people should go to college only if they intend on recieving a degree that provides a wide array of opportunites.

Posted Apr 20, 2011

Hey Dan, Regarding the internship issue you mention, I've blogged about this on The Center for Working Class Studies site, "working class perspectives". I think it's especially problematic for working class students trying to break into journalism, where their voices and perspectives are needed most and represented least.

Posted Apr 21, 2011

Firstly, how do we define "working-class"? I know a great many people that are college educated but work as farmers, blue-collar workers, etc. (By choice-not due to underemployment.) Does their intelligence or income define them as "working-class"--or is it a status for the sake of status?

Take for example a two parent household, with one parent as a stay-at-home. Their income level might be lower, but if both parents were college graduates they might have a better safety net and be more prepared for what life throws at them.

I don't mean to imply that everyone should jump into college right after high school. But. I would say that it's one of the few things you should never regret doing. An education (in any field) is something you'll never lose.

Posted Apr 29, 2011

Very rich conversation (or full of rich conversation starters) on this issue on the Diane Rehm show today - going a bit farther and asking the question is college education right even for those students who have been planning for college since they were in diapers.

This article isn't exactly about working-class people, but the theme is the same. Any thoughts on this program offered by Peter Thiel?