Comments: What's Wrong With Education in the U.S.?

David Wessel:

On whether a degree is necessary and importance of the choice of major:

Paul Elliott:

Like home ownership, Americans are obsessed with the importance of obtaining a college degree, and so it gets over-emphasized and over-subsidized through student loans that lead in many cases to too many people paying ever-higher tuition rates at mediocre colleges and obtaining a worthless degree. Look at Germany, whose population has a much lower percentage of college degrees than the U.S., but it still has a low unemployment rate and a solid manufacturing economy. We need to recognize that vocational occupations like mechanics, machinists, electricians, and plumbers are worthy alternatives to college.

Andrew Black:

Um, quality and usefulness of education is being ignored here? It isn't a fact that more education means better jobs or a better workforce. Too many kids are majoring in sociology, women's studies, and other useless fields of study that do not equate to any measurable economic benefit.

Also, they gloss over the fact that many people choose to go to college and rack up debt, when many of them would be better served going to a professional school or a trade school.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 30, 2012 1:35 AM
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