College enrollment is dropping, and it’s not just the pandemic: Americans are finally getting wise.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that undergrad enrollment dropped 3.2 percent last year, down 6.5 percent from two years ago — the largest decline in 50 years.
Yes, pandemic-related restrictions are a factor: Why go when classes may well not be in-person, and socializing is badly limited, too? But as with much else, COVID only accelerated the change. Enrollment had already dropped by more than 2 million from 2011 to 2019.
One issue is soaring tuition. Costs for the 2008-’09 school year averaged $38,720 at a US private college, $16,460 for a public one. Today, the numbers are $48,510 and $21,370. That’s a 25 percent increase over 10 years.
Yes, it’s easy enough to get loans — but that’s money you still owe if you don’t get the degree that would make it easier to pay it back. And total student debt stands at $1.7 trillion.
Second, the product has declined: Universities eager to attract paying customers have regularly lowered graduation standards and winked at degrees in unmarketable areas.
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https://nypost.com/2021/10/30/america-finally-getting-wise-to-how-bad-a-deal-college-can-be/
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